Survival and Resistance in Evangelical America: Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest by Crawford Gribben (review)

Abstract

nineteenth century. The author also traces the history of Indigenous people — who endured invasion and epidemics — participating in the early colonial transport, trade, and agricultural economy of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. That is, Portland and Oregon were in no small part created by the continent’s first people. Continuing that story, Abbott includes Portland’s twentieth-century Indigenous community that began growing with the migration of people into the city to fill war-industry jobs during World War II. He goes on to cover various aspects of Portland’s African American, Hispanic, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Jewish history. Nevertheless, as a whole, narratives on women, minoritized people, and working-class communities fill less space in the book’s pages than traditional narratives. Together, these social groups, of course, have constituted the majority of Portland at any given time. Yet, this shortcoming will hopefully inspire other scholars to continue filling in Portland’s multifaceted story. With a clear and approachable writing style, Abbott also deeply describes Portland’s economic and demographic trends. Likewise, the author delves into the city’s geography and infrastructure. Amid the various historical lines he follows, Abbott manages to offer entertaining factoids throughout the text, such as mentioning how the “Hollywood western Bend of the River (1952) features a steamboat race up the Columbia before James Stewart disembarks for some adventures on the slopes of Mount Hood” (p. 38). In addition, the book includes various maps and photographs that aid readers in imagining Portland’s past. For those readers wanting to delve deeper into Portland’s history, the author caps the book with a broad and detailed bibliographical essay. Indeed, after turning through the book’s pages, many readers will conclude that Portland’s place in the national and global imagination is justified. They will want to continue reading and learning. If we are lucky, this revised edition will also encourage others to continue writing on the city. Joel Zapata Oregon State University SURVIVAL AND RESISTANCE IN EVANGELICAL AMERICA: CHRISTIAN RECONSTRUCTION IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST