This convenient volume offers a panoramic view of the forces and personalities that shaped The United Methodist Church in the United States. Three noted United Methodist historians provide laypersons with a brief history of The United Methodist Church. They skillfully trace the church's origins, beginning with a look at the renewal movement that led to the early denominations within Wesleyanism. They continue through the Second Great Awakening, the periods of slavery and the Civil War, the mergers and unions of the twentieth century, the causes championed by United Methodism, and more.