Do Blogs Democratize American Religious History?

As the founder of “Religion in American History,” at http://usreligion.blogspot.com, the first blog site devoted to furthering the study of American religious history, I have wrestled with the questions of how, and whether, online blog forums may advance the fortunes of the field, or promote greater public discussion of issues of importance to American religious historians. My paper will argue that there is a healthy tension for academic blogs, which are democratizing access to discussions and knowledge even while they are targeting academic audiences interested in internecine discussion such as might happen at conferences and other professional meetings.