God Bless America
God Bless America
“America was founded in a religious tolerance which was later enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. This set up a breeding ground for a motley riffraff of cults and weird beliefs—a kind of theological freak show or theological Badlands. Karen Stollznow ventured intrepidly into this ‘Here be Dragons’ territory and her book parades specimens and trophies for our amazement, described with lively good humour and analysed with a sympathetic intelligence. One of the commonest questions I am asked is what makes America so religious. Karen Stollznow's book will become an essential resource for answering it.”
—Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion
About the Book
God Bless America lifts the veil on strange and unusual religious beliefs and practices in the modern-day United States. Do Satanists really sacrifice babies? Do exorcisms involve swearing and spinning heads? Are the Amish allowed to drive cars and use computers? Offering a close look at snake handling, new age spirituality, Santeria spells, and satanic rituals, this book offers more than mere armchair research. It takes you to an exorcism, a Charismatic church and a Fundamentalist Mormon polygamist compound. You will sit among the beards and bonnets in a Mennonite church, hear the sounds of silence at a Quaker meeting, and listen to L. Ron Hubbard's sci-fi stories told as sermons during a Scientology service. From the Amish to Voodoo, the beliefs and practices explored in this book may be unorthodox, and often dangerous, but they are always fascinating. Some of them are dying out, while others are gaining popularity with a modern audience, but all offer insight into the past, present and future of religion in the United States.
About the Author
Karen Stollznow is a linguist with a background in history and anthropology. She is a columnist, podcaster and the author of Haunting America, Language Myths, Mysteries and Magic, and Red, White and (True) Blue. Karen was a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and has spent many years writing about a diverse array of topics, including language, culture, religion and anomalous claims. Karen was born in Sydney, and has a PhD in linguistics from the University of New England, Australia. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.
Details
ISBN: 9781939578006
Format: paperback
SRP: $14.95
Page count: 256 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: October 2013
More Praise
“The chapter on Scientology is fantastic. It is very specifically detailed with a clear breakdown on the belief system, various programs and abuses. This is deadly concise and makes an incredibly clear and compelling case for the utter absurdity of the church.”
—Jamie DeWolf, great-grandson of L. Ron Hubbard“In God Bless America, Karen Stollznow opens the doors and looks at the people inside some of the more interesting congregations of the United States. Maybe it takes an Aussie to really dig down under into these American faith's lesser known secrets? While respectful, Stollznow doesn't shy away from any of the sometimes disturbing things she finds. From Shakers to undead movers, it's a spirited book full of surprising beliefs and practices that will engage you thoroughly.”
—Blake Smith, aka "Dr. Atlantis," of the Monster Talk podcast
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