From the Margins

Description:Recognized as a leading interpreter of major movements in American Christianity such as Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, and the Holiness movement, Donald W. Dayton has produced a body of work spanning four decades and diverse areas of inquiry. In From the Margins, friends and colleagues respond to major essays by Dayton (several published here for the first time) so as to celebrate and reflect on this diverse and rich body of work. The essays highlight the breadth of Dayton's contribution while also revealing a methodological core. The latter could be described as Dayton's deconstructive reading of standard scholarly narratives in order to short-circuit their domesticating effects on the more radical aspects of American Christianity. Dayton's work has challenged long-held assumptions about the conservative nature of American Christianity by showing that both in their history and in their deeper theological substructures, traditions such as Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism are far more radical and productive of social change than was previously imagined.Endorsements:Donald Dayton's writings on the history of American evangelicalism combine impressive learning with a passion for the relevance of scholarship. His challenging interpretations have helped many others of us to rethink things from fresh perspectives.--George Marsden, author of many books including Fundamentalism and American Culture, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship, and Jonathan EdwardsAbout the Contributor(s):Christian T. Collins Winn is Assistant Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN.