Ministry in a small town or rural context is challenging. The minister and his or her family live in a fishbowl, with every aspect of life under constant scruti

Being a pastor has its rewards and pleasures. But churches can be unsafe places. They are filled with broken, imperfect people. Many ministers of the gospel wal

A mix of thematic essays, reference entries, and primary source documents covering the role of religion in American history and life from the colonial era to th

Dizzying changes have taken place in American religious life in the last half century. Yet in spite of that fact, taking a snapshot of a “typical” Christian