"Americans have been exposed to such a systematic onslaught of Evangelists in the twentieth century, that they are not sure what to make of the prophecies and promises..." Thus begins William Packard in the probing and even-handed study, Evangelism in America.After a brief history of Evangelism, from its biblical beginnings down through the centuries, the author explores in depth the American preachers and Evangelists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

He offers fascinating profiles of Dwight L. Moody, Billy Sunday, Aimee Semple McPherson, and Father Divine. And he takes a close look at today's seductive TV preachers and healers who emphasize conversion and revival and the fundamentalism that has been the cornerstone of almost all modern Protestant Evangelism.

Packard incorporates many other charismatic figures in his penetrating study, including Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggert, Pat Robertson, Jim Bakker, Rex Humbard, Werner Erhardt, Billy Graham and Jim Jones.

WILLIAM PACKARD is a poet, novelist, and playwright, and the founder and editor of The New York Quarterly, a national poetry magazine. He is the great-grandson of Evangelist Dwight L. Moody.