The venerable Handbook of Denominations in the United States is one of the standard reference works for Christian church workers, especially pastors, congregations and anyone curious about what their neighbors believe. It is a standard college and seminary textbooks for surveys of the history of the Christian Church in America. The most recent edition, the 12th, contains short overviews of Jewish and Islamic traditions as well. The books is made up of short summaries of the background and teaching of the broader traditions within these religions, followed by an overview of the history, teachings and cultures of individual denominations within the traditions. Several very useful appendices list members of the World Council of Churches, addresses and websites of denominations and charts of the family relationships of Christian traditions. Highly recommended for the libraries of anyone who is interested in American Christianity. ( )

Great reference. ( )

good reference for understanding the maze of "christians" in our midst ( )