{"product_id":"gods-ambassadors-a-history-of-the-christian-clergy-in-america-paperback","title":"God's Ambassadors: A History of the Christian Clergy in America - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eE. Brooks Holifield\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eGod's Ambassadors\u003c\/i\u003e E. Brooks Holifield masterfully traces the history of America's Christian clergy from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century, analyzing the changes in practice and authority that have transformed the clerical profession. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Challenging one-sided depictions of decline in clerical authority, Holifield locates the complex story of the clergy within the context not only of changing theologies but also of transitions in American culture and society. The result is a thorough social history of the profession that also takes seriously the theological presuppositions that have informed clerical activity. With alternating chapters on Protestant and Catholic clergy, the book permits sustained comparisons between the two dominant Christian traditions in American history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e At the same time, \u003ci\u003eGod's Ambassadors\u003c\/i\u003e depicts a vocation that has remained deeply ambivalent regarding the professional status marking the other traditional learned callings in the American workplace. Changing expectations about clerical education, as well as enduring theological questions, have engendered a debate about the professional ideal that has distinguished the clerical vocation from such fields as law and medicine. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The American clergy from the past four centuries constitute a colorful, diverse cast of characters who have, in ways both obvious and obscure, helped to shape the tone of American culture. For a well-rounded narrative of their story told by a master historian, \u003ci\u003eGod's Ambassadors\u003c\/i\u003e is the book to read.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eE. Brooks Holifield is the Candler Professor Emeritus of American Church History at Emory University's Candler School of Theology. Among his other books is \u003ci\u003eTheology in America: Christian Thought from the Age of the Puritans to the Civil War\u003c\/i\u003e, which won the American Society of Church History's Albert C. Outler Prize.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 366\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.82 x 9.21 x 6.14 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 19, 2019\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47466704437426,"sku":"9780802878243","price":39.94,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/3891\/1666\/files\/0c6a0ad2833f5544311571e1ace2e0f7.webp?v=1779029556","url":"https:\/\/box.dadyminds.org\/products\/gods-ambassadors-a-history-of-the-christian-clergy-in-america-paperback","provider":"DADYMINDS BOX","version":"1.0","type":"link"}