"City on a Hill" and the early struggle for religious conformity. The Enlightenment & Founding:
To dive deeper into specific eras mentioned in the lectures, you might explore his other publications: American Religious History | The Great Courses Shop TTC - Prof. Patrick N Allitt - American Religious History
Because Allitt did not grow up immersed in the American revival tent or the Southern Baptist pew, he notices the quirks. He sees the absurdity, the genius, and the profound sincerity of American religious movements with a clarity that native historians sometimes lack. His dry British wit, combined with a genuine affection for his adopted country, makes the 36 lectures of feel like a long, fascinating conversation with a brilliant uncle. "City on a Hill" and the early struggle
: How religion shaped—and was shaped by—the Civil Rights Movement (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.’s biblical appeals), Cold War tensions, the Vietnam War , and feminism . His dry British wit, combined with a genuine
No Q&A, no discussion. The 30-minute lecture model means some topics feel rushed (e.g., the Scopes Trial gets ~15 minutes). The included (PDF) is helpful but mostly an outline, not a full transcript.
While high school history textbooks often lump the colonists together, Allitt meticulously dissects the theological differences between the Puritans of New England, the Anglicans of Virginia, and the Quakers of Pennsylvania. He paints a picture of a "haven for hell-raisers"—a place where religious dissenters who couldn't fit into the rigid structures of European society came to build their own versions of utopia.