The enduring linkage of New England to Puritanism has obscured awareness of other spiritual traditions present even during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Employing fiction as a window to the diverse faiths and cultural traditions of the nineteenth century, Lisa MacFarlane reveals the range and variety of spiritual expression. Canonical writers such as Hawthorne, Stowe, Alcott, and Twain are balanced by less familiar names who reveal the experience of African Americans, Native Americans, working men and women, urbanites, country folk, and diverse immigrant groups. MacFarlane's thematic organization and critical introduction provide historical and cultural contexts for the writings and help to guide readers through the works. Each entry's headnotes containing biographical information and context, along with explanatory footnotes and suggestions for primary and secondary reading, make this an essential text for students and teachers of nineteenth-century literature and culture, religious studies, and American history. Read Less