"Examines American identity as influenced by its founding and history and the diverse Muslim experience in America, as well as the experience of other religious groups, and how each has affected the other"--Provided by publisher.

Around the nation today, St. Francis of Assisi is embraced as the patron saint of animals, beneficently presiding over hundreds of Blessing of the Animals services on October 4, St. Francis's Catholic feast day. Not only Catholics, however, but Protestants and other Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and nonreligious Americans commonly name him as one of their favorite spiritual figures. Appelbaum traces popular depictions and interpretations of...

Muslims are neither new nor foreign to the United States. They have been a vital presence in North America since the 16th century. This book unearths their history, documenting the lives of African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, European, black, white, Hispanic and other Americans who have been followers of Islam. The book begins with the tale of Job Ben Solomon, a 18th century African American Muslim slave, and goes on to chart the stories of sodbusters...