This work offers a way of thinking about Protestantism and its role in shaping American society. The author judges the relevance of a faith from a standpoint opposite the norm - faith that is irrelevant, marginal and cut off from societal influence, D.G. Hart says, is more likely to be genuine.

In The Lost Soul of American Protestantism, D. G. Hart examines the historical origins of the idea that faith must be socially useful in order to be valuable. Through specific episodes in Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Reformed history, Hart presents a neglected form of Protestantism—confessionalism—as an alternative to prevailing religious theory. He deftly argues that the history of confessional Protestantism is vitally important to current discussions on the role of religion in American life, as it is more concerned with the prosperity of the community of believers than with the spiritual health of the nation as a whole. Hart suggests that, contrary to the legacy of revivalism, faith may be most vital and influential when it is not practical.