J. Gordon Melton

J. Gordon Melton is the director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa Barbara, California. Founded in 1969, ISAR specializes in the study of America's churches and religious organizations. Dr. Melton is the author of more than thirty books on American religious life and history, including the Encyclopedia of American Religions (Gale Group, 7th edition, 2002), American Religion: An Illustrated History (ABC-Clio, 2000), Protestant Faith in America (Facts on File, 2003), and the Encyclopedia of Protestantism (Facts on File, 2005).