Religion as we know it : the career of a contradiction -- Walls and foundations : Washington, Jefferson, and religious double-talk -- Protestants, Catholics, and Mormons : religion and the struggle for citizenship -- Nicholas Black Elk and Theodore Roosevelt : religion and the fight for land -- Creationists and evolutionists : religion and the question of human origins -- Religion, race, and science : the battle over sexuality -- Conclusion : heart conditions.
Summary:
When Americans fight about "religion," we are also fighting about our conflicting identities, interests, and commitments. Religion-talk has been a ready vehicle for these conflicts because it is built on enduring contradictions within our core political values. The Constitution treats religion as something to be confined behind a wall, but in public communications, the Framers treated religion as the foundation of the American republic. Ever since, Americans have translated disagreements on many other issues into an endless debate about the role of religion in our public life. Built around a set of compelling narratives-George Washington's battle with Quaker pacifists; the fight of Mormons and Catholics for equality with Protestants; Teddy Roosevelt's concept of land versus the Lakota's concept; the creation-evolution controversy; and the struggle over sexuality-this book shows how religion, throughout American history, has symbolized, but never resolved, our deepest political questions.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.