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New Day Begun: African American Churches and Civic Culture in Post-Civil Rights America. Edited by R. Drew Smith. The Public Influences of African American Churches, Vol. 1. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2003. x + 310 pp. $29.95 cloth.

indicates that authors from both sides of the Atlantic have made contributions. As most books with collected essays, this one also originated in a conference. This conference was organized by Dutch scholars of American history. It took place in the summer of 2001, just a few weeks before 9/11. The editors are aware of the importance of this caesura, but they have decided to publish the essays without reviewing them in light of this most tragic event. The six chapters of the book cover the following topics: "The 'Past, Present and Future' of Religion in America"; "The Clerical Presence in NineteenthCentury Literature"; "Religion in Twentieth-Century Literature"; "Gender and American Religion"; "Religious Space and National Symbolism"; and finally "Religious Imports and Exports." In none of the chapters is the attempt made to give a comprehensive interpretation; rather, the authors contributing to these chapters discuss specific examples. From a European point of view, with regard to "Religion in America" one question is more important, more troubling than any other: In the past two centuries, both continents have experienced rapid social and cultural modernization, industrialization as well as urbanization. But why is "Religion in America" strong and vibrant, while European societies are in the grip of progressive secularization? In this book, only one author, Walter H. Conser, seems to recognize the importance of this question. Conser does not compare religion in Europe with religion in America. But in attempting to explain religious diversity in America, he gives at least a partial answer. For Conser, the separation of state and church, the early end of established churches, and the impact of immigrants as well as the opportunities for independent action offered by mobility account for religious pluralism in America. In sum: This book can be recommended to scholars who are interested in specific aspects of "Religion in America." The discussion about the peculiarities of "Religion in America" as compared to Europe will, however, have to be continued.