In this groundbreaking study, art and furniture historian John T. Kirk casts new light on the Shakers, describing the evolution of their beliefs, religious practices, and daily life, and showing how these factors influenced all of their arts, including their spirit-inspired "gift" drawings and architecture.

His analysis of the relationship of Shaker-made objects to pieces produced by non-Shakers in the same period and locality illuminates the development of Shaker art and its place in the American experience. Using hitherto unpublished documents, diaries, and letters, Kirk gives voice and presence to these remarkable people and their world.

Lavishly illustrated, with many new photographs of Shaker objects reproduced here for the first time, The Shaker World: Art, Life, Belief is the most complete record of Shaker life ever published.