Includes bibliographical references and index.

I. The social and religious heritage
1. Religious life in a free society
2. The heritage of song
3. The indigenous heritage
4. The heritage of musical romanticism
5. The creative American heritage
II. External twentieth-century influences
6. Social and economic influences
7. Folk developments
8. Twentieth-century revivalism
III. Twentieth-century hymnody
9. The merging of traditions
10. The all-purpose hymnals
IV. Mass communications
11. Radio
12. Television
V. Church music education
13. The Bible institutes
14. The seminaries
15. Church-related colleges
16. Curricular development in graduate schools
17. Continuing education
VI. Recent developments
18. Publishers and composers
19. Hymnody
20. Choral innovation
21. Anthem composers
22. Evaluations and philosophies

The book discusses the identity of American church music associated with the important events such as social, economic, political, religious and educational. Dean emphasizes that, in difficult situations like wars and economic depression, twentieth-century church music played the role of providing "a `resting place' for the living faith of each new generation" and "a basis for a better understanding of our own heritage of faith and mission" (preface).