Introduction: Religious Authority and the Democratic Impulse -- Democratic Exclusivism -- Democracies Primitive and Pure -- Democratic Authority -- Democracy, Race, and Gender -- African-American Democracies -- Freedom, Authority, and Doctrine -- Associations, Creeds, and Calvinism -- Democratic Religion Transformed -- Conclusion
Summary
No American denomination identified itself more closely with the nation's democratic ideals than did the Baptists. Paradoxically no denomination wielded more religious authority than they did. Wills looks at these two rival strains within the church
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 141-183) and index