Rating: 
Summary: Extremely Useful; Short Unbiased Summaries of Each
Review: This book is an extremely valuable resource to quickly understand the basic beliefs of a denominations, especially those that set them apart from others. This book covers a vast number of denominations, obviously not complete but close to it. Each one typically has a statistic giving its popularity, followed by a short (typically no longer than 3 or 4 pages, but sometimes shorter) summary of the denominational history and distinctives. Having used it to look at a few denominations with which I am familiar and many with which I am not, the authors appear to have painstakingly made the summaries as unbiased and fair as possible. Oftentimes, they quote directly from official denominational literature. I also appreciate the appendices which refer the researcher to further information on a particular denomination. The large denominational categories covered, with many subcategories each are:
1. Adventist
2. Baptist
3. Brethren and Pietist Churches
4. Catholic Churches
5. Christian Church (Stone-Campbell Movement)
6. Congregational Churches
7. Episcopal/Anglican Churches
8. Friends (Quakers)
9. Fundamentalist/Bible Churches
10. Holines Churches
11. Islam
12. Judaism
13. Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
14. Lutherans
15. Mennonite Churches
16. Methodist Churches
17. Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches
18. Pentecostal Churches
19. Presbyterian Churches
20. Reformed Churches
21. Salvation Army
22. Spiritualist and Theosophical Bodies There are many others that cannot be put under these broad categories that are too numerous to mention here. This book appears to have succeeded in what it set out to accomplish: give a concise but accurate depiction of various church sects throughout the United States.
Rating: 
Summary: It's Sad that This is the Best Book on the Subject!
Review: This book should be compiled like a travel guide. There should be an introductory chapter that explains the major divisive doctrines of American denominations. Each denomination should then follow a common format that starts with what its members believe. Then, church history deserves a section, followed with a discussion of the current state of the denomination (schools, charities, number of members, etc.) There should be photos of representative churches, worship services, etc. Then, at the end of each major group of denominations should be a chart summarizing the information. This book is ok, but as with so many books within the religious category, it just doesn't measure up to its potential as a useful resource.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Reference Book
Review: This is a good updated reference book with many of the religions listed. However, it does not have much substance or depth. I gave it a 3 star though because of the quality of including most of the religions! Provide some more depth...please!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource!
Review: This wonderful book is one that clearly lives up to its title. In a small, easy-to-digest format, it lists all of the major (and quite a few minor) religious groups found within the United States. While focusing primarily on Christian denominations, it does cover such non-Christian organizations as the Bahai, Muslims, spiritualists, and a few others. The text, ranging from half a page for certain small groups, to 25 pages for the Baptists (a large and varied collection of churches), tries to give a history of the denomination and a brief introduction to their theology. For my own purposes, I found this book to be a most excellent resource. While it is too small to go into any depth on any one denomination, it's breadth does mean that you can quickly and easily look up just about any denomination and get useful information on it. Plus, I must say that I appreciate that the authors have gone to great pains to present each denomination in an objective manner, which allows me to place great confidence in their book. So, if you are looking for a book that will give you a quick introduction to just about *any* denomination, then I can't recommend any book more highly than this one!
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