The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) often seems to relish its division more that it celebrates the unity that exists within the denomination. In What Unites Presbyterians, Clifton Kirkpatrick and William Hopper compellingly call attention to the ties that bind Presbyterians together as a community of faith.

In his classic work, life-long Presbyterian and former pastor Jim Angell tells what it means to be a Presbyterian. This readable, accessible book is divided into six parts--key ideas, commitment, witness, order, discipline, and covenant--and includes a handy glossary to commonly used Presbyterian terms. Now updated with the most recent statistics and polity information, this is an ideal book to give to new members, confirmation students, and inquirers in PC(USA) churches.

In Leading from the Center, sociologist William Weston provides an enlightening look at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the tensions that exist between key groups in the denomination. Weston defines the key groups as conservatives, liberals, and loyalists and structures his view of the denomination around the third group. Defining "loyalists" as the largest and those who have no wish to see the denomination split apart, Weston argues that while conservatives may consider splitting the church over doctrinal issues and liberals may consider splitting the church over social...