Amanda Porterfield is een expert op het gebied van de Amerikaanse religieuze geschiedenis en de geschiedenis van het Christendom. Haar werk duikt diep in de diepgaande en vaak onverwachte invloed van religie op de vorming van maatschappelijke instellingen, met name in de context van de Amerikaanse geschiedenis. Porterfield onderzoekt hoe religieuze ideeën en praktijken economische en sociale structuren hebben beïnvloed en blijven beïnvloeden. Haar onderzoek biedt een unieke lens om de blijvende impact van geloof op de ontwikkeling van de Amerikaanse samenleving te begrijpen.
Focusing on the diverse beliefs and practices within Protestantism, this book offers an accessible exploration of the history and influence of Protestants in the United States. It delves into shared core beliefs, significant events, and controversies that have shaped the community. Additionally, it examines long-term trends, providing insights into the evolving landscape of Protestantism in America and its ongoing cultural impact.
Amanda Porterfield offers a survey of ideas, rituals, and experiences of healing in Christian history. Jesus himself performed many miracles of healing, and Christians down the ages have seen this as a prominent feature of their faith. Indeed, healing is one of the most constant themes in the long and sprawling history of Christianity. Changes in healing beliefs and practices offer a window into changes in religious authority, church structure, and ideas about sanctity, history, resurrection, and the kingdom of God. Porterfield chronicles these changes, at the same time shedding important new light on the universality of religious healing. Finally, she looks at recent scientific findings about religion's biological effects, and considers the relation of these findings to ages-old traditions about belief and healing.