Sociologist Jeffrey Guhin spent a year and a half embedded in four high schools in the New York City area -- two of them Sunni Muslim and two Evangelical Christian. At first pass, these communities do not seem to have much in common. But under closer inspection Guhin finds several common threads: each school community holds to a conservative approach to gender and sexuality, a hostility towards the theory of evolution, and a deep suspicion of secularism. All possess a double-sided image of America, on the one hand as a place where their children can excel and prosper, and on the other hand as a land of temptations that could lead their children astray. He shows how these school communities use boundaries of politics, gender, and sexuality to distinguish themselves from the secular world, both in school and online. Guhin develops his study of boundaries in the book's first half to show how the school communities teach their children who they are not; the book's second half shows how the communities use "external authorities" to teach their children who they are. These "external authorities" -- such as Science, Scripture, and Prayer -- are experienced by community members as real powers with the ability to issue commands and coerce action. By offloading agency to these external authorities, leaders in these schools are able to maintain a commitment to religious freedom while simultaneously reproducing their moral commitments in their students. Drawing on extensive classroom observation, community participation, and 143 formal interviews with students, teachers, and staff, this book makes an original contribution to sociology, religious studies, and education.

"The book seriously engages with, and contributes to, the literatures in the sociology of religion, education, and culture. For readers who take an interest in these fields...this book comes highly recommended." - Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

"Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty." - B. Weston, Centre College

"A significant contribution to the fields of sociology, anthropology, and religious studies." - Journal of the Contemporary Study of Islam

"Agents of God would be useful for students and faculty alike who are studying sociology of education, organizations, identity, and religion. Because this book is written in accessible prose, it would be helpful to many lay readers who are seeking to understand how religious schools, in particular, shape the beliefs and behaviors of their students." - Review of Religious Research

"This is a fascinating book, replete with rich ethnographic data" - Sociology of Religion

"Agents of God is a thought-provoking and meticulously researched book that makes clear and helpful contributions to the field of sociology of religion. Guhin's interdisciplinary approach, combined with his rich ethnographic data, offers valuable insights for scholars and practitioners alike. Anyone interested in the nature of contemporary religious education will find Guhin's nuanced understanding of how these institutions navigate the challenges of secularism while reaffirming their sacred identities enriching." - Jeffery Porter, Reading Religion

"Agents of God is a thought-provoking and meticulously researched book that makes clear and helpful contributions to the field of sociology of religion. Guhin's interdisciplinary approach, combined with his rich ethnographic data, offers valuable insights for scholars and practitioners alike. Anyone interested in the nature of contemporary religious education will find Guhin's nuanced understanding of how these institutions navigate the challenges of secularism while reaffirming their sacred identities enriching." - Jeffery Porter, Reading Religion