A Social History of the Disciples of Christ: The social sources of division in the Disciples of Christ, 1865-1900

Published in 1966, this academic volume by historian David Edwin Harrell Jr. emerged as a seminal work in the study of American religious history. Harrell sought to move beyond purely theological explanations for the late nineteenth-century schisms within the Disciples of Christ, instead grounding the movement's institutional fracturing in the shifting socioeconomic landscapes of the post-Civil War era. By examining the tension between rural traditionalists and urban progressives, he provided a pioneering model for understanding religious development through the lens of social class.

Harrell’s methodology represented a significant shift in denominational historiography, emphasizing the intersection of economic transition and theological evolution. The work remains highly regarded in scholarly circles for its rigorous archival research and its objective approach to a complex religious lineage. It serves as a definitive case study on how external societal pressures and industrialization can fundamentally alter the ideological trajectory of a religious body, cementing Harrell's reputation as a key figure in the history of the Restoration Movement.