Revolution Within the Revolution: The First Amendment in Historical Context, 1612-1789

Distinguished historian William Estep offers in this book a lively account of the persons and events that influenced the shaping of the First Amendment. Estep shows specifically how evangelical dissenters laid the groundwork necessary for the triumph of religious freedom in America -- something that has often been ignored.

Incredibly, says Estep, some Christians today appear determined to reinterpret if not eliminate the First Amendment and its historically revolutionary provision for the separation of church and state. But those who envision America as a church-state where Puritan ideals and concepts should rule misconstrue the amendment's original intent -- to "free citizens from the overweening power of a church-controlled state."

The book includes an ample bibliography and an appendix of rarely seen documents pertaining to the struggle for religious liberty. A wide audience -- including students, ministers, and general readers across the religious spectrum -- will appreciate this absorbing historical account.