Dense historical and doctrinal treament

Review of Fundamentalism and American Culture by George M. Marsden

Having a number of fundamentalists in my extended family, I have long sought a book that would place the movement in historical context. Marsden's book, if heavily academic, explores the strands of what made fundamentalism, how it evolved, and what impact it has had over time.

The story begins after the Civil War, during which many certitudes were demoli…