Michael J. Mcclymond, Ed. Embodying the Spirit: New Perspectives on North American Revivalism (Book Review‪)‬

Michael J. McClymond, ed. Embodying the Spirit: New Perspectives on North American Revivalism. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2004. xiv + 346 pp. $49.95 Embodying the Spirit presents eleven essays that discuss revivalism from the 1700s through the present, though the twentieth century receives the most extensive coverage. In his preface, Michael McClymond writes "the context of the worship service is just as important as its content" (x), a statement which could serve as an alternate subtitle to this volume given the scope of its analysis. Using fiction, architecture, inter-ethnic dialogues, radio broadcasts, oral history, linguistic analysis, and other diverse methodologies, contributors infuse seemingly everyday phenomena with significance and cast a crucial light on how religious experiences are played out within "secular" culture (in fact, tensions between the sacred and ordinary are a prominent theme throughout this collection). Five of these essays were presented at the American Academy of Religion's annual meeting in 2000, and several have been published elsewhere. But this should not diminish the significance of this anthology, which, much like a revival itself, brings together a diverse collection to attract attention, invite reflection, and challenge observers to think in new directions.