The secular activist

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Karin Fry

"Many of America's political debates stem from media-constructed opposition between the religious right and secular left. However, the contentious dialogue between two seemingly-contrasting camps is based upon assumptions and stereotypes, rather than facts: the Christian right misrepresents the left as a movement inspired by moral relativism, while the left erroneously frames the Christian right as theocratically-driven. Beyond Religious Right and Secular Left Rhetoric uncovers the actual differences between these groups, examining how both movements have similar conceptual histories. By stressing their oft-ignored similarities (promotion of religious freedom, freedom of conscience, and separation of church and state), the book seeks to better inform partisans and the public at-large in order to move the debate beyond assumptions"--

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Steven H. Shiffrin

"In The Religious Left and Church-State Relations, noted constitutional law scholar Steven Shiffrin argues that the religious left, not the secular left, is best equipped to lead the battle against the religious right on questions of church and state in America today. Explaining that the chosen rhetoric of secular liberals is poorly equipped to argue against religious conservatives, Shiffrin shows that all progressives, religious and secular, must appeal to broader values promoting religious liberty. He demonstrates that the separation of church and state serves to protect religions from political manipulation while tight connections between church and state compromise the integrity of religious institutions.Shiffrin discusses the pluralistic foundations of the religion clauses in the First Amendment and asserts that the clauses cannot be confined to the protection of liberty, equality, or equal liberty. He explores the constitutional framework of religious liberalism, applying it to controversial examples, including the Pledge of Allegiance, the government's use of religious symbols, the teaching of evolution in public schools, and school vouchers. Shiffrin examines how the approaches of secular liberalism toward church-state relations have been misguided philosophically and politically, and he illustrates why theological arguments hold an important democratic position--not in courtrooms or halls of government, but in the public dialogue. The book contends that the great issue of American religious politics is not whether religions should be supported at all, but how religions can best be strengthened and preserved." -- Publisher's information.

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Terry Eastland

The simple language in which the First Amendment forbids Congress to make laws that "establish" religion or prohibit its free exercise has been anything but simple to apply. Since 1940, the Supreme Court has been called upon to decide many cases involving the religion clause - in such matters as prayer in public schools, unemployment compensation for persons whose religious scruples led to their unemployment, state aid to church-related schools, the display of Nativity scenes on city land, and tax exemption for property owned by religious organizations. Twenty-five of these cases are brought together here, introduced, excerpted, and annotated by Terry Eastland. With fifteen of the cases there is also a sampling of contemporaneous editorial comment, from such sources as the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Christian Century, and The New Republic. In Part Two, three legal scholars - Mary Ann Glendon, Michael J. Sandel, and Michael W. McConnell - comment on trends in the Court's religion-clause jurisprudence and their implications for our public life.

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Chris Beneke

Drawing on pamphlets and broadsides, newspaper exchanges, document collections, personal diaries, church records and legislative journals, this book shows how early Americans learned to live amid a great diversity of beliefs and modes of worship. It examines the factors that contributed to the cultural revolution that took place in America.