This small book is a quick introduction to the Christian denominations in the United States. It covers the Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and major Protestant sects in a remarkable short space, giving a history of the sect and a list of distinguishing beliefs. Most interesting are the appendices, particularly the Patterns of Faith in America Today.

Overall, this is a good book, but not a great one. The history sections are quite informative, but the lists of distinguishing beliefs I found rather vague. That is, the book will explain that a church holds a certain belief, but not go into any depth on it, or explain how this differentiates the sect from the others. Someone more knowledgeable about Christian doctrines will probably find this more informative than I did.

Overall, though, I did find this an interesting and informative book.

I think this book is a model of how such things should be written. It is very fair, with no discernible ax to grind and no attempt to score cheap victories over viewpoints differing from the author's. (There are, unfortunately, far worse things out there on the market -- e.g. Walter Martin's Kingdom of the Cults -- and they seem to sell quite well.) Readers get a very good general overview of the doctrines and histories of various denominations, from a source that they can rely on. I recommend this book highly.

This is one of the finest and most easily digestible introductions to the major Christian denominations of America that I have ever read. Backman comes as close to an unbiased look at the wonderful diversity of American Christianity as any human could. This is a book that is invaluable for scholars, celrgy, and lay-persons alike. His style is wonderfully readable and he does not overburden the reader with inaccesible language or inordinate speculation. A must for any student of modern Christianity.