by Kevin M. Schultz (2011)
President Franklin D. Roosevelt put it bluntly, if privately, in 1942-the United States was 'a Protestant country,' he said, 'and the Catholics and Jews are here under sufferance.' In Tri-Faith America, Kevin Schultz explains how the United States left behind this idea that it was 'a Protestant nation' and replaced it with a new national image, one premised on the notion that the country was composed of three separate, equally American faiths-Protestants, Catholics, and Jews. Tracing the origins of the tri-faith idea to the early twentieth century, when Catholic and Jewish immigration forced Protestant Social Gospelers to combine forces with Catholic and Jewish relief agencies, Tri-Faith America shows how the tri-faith idea gathered momentum after World War I, promoted by public relations campaigns, interfaith organizations, and the government, to the point where, by the end of World War II and into the early years of the Cold War, the idea was becoming widely accepted, particularly in the armed forces, fraternities, neighborhoods, social organizations, and schools. Challenging the image of the conformist 1950s, Schultz describes how Americans were vigorously debating the merits of recognizing pluralism, paving the way for the civil rights movement and leaving an enduring mark on American culture.
Joseph Ratzinger
"Cardinal Ratzinger seeks to deepen our understanding of the Bible's most fundamental principle. The covenant defines religion for Christians and Jews. We cannot discern God's design or his will if we do not meditate upon his covenant."--BOOK JACKET.
Richard A. Robinson
Dr. Goldberg was a member of a sect that believed that Jesus was the Messiah. He was active in Messianic Judaism and Jews for Jesus.
David Liepert
Virtually every other religious book portrays the act of believing-the decision a believer makes to accept that his or her own religion's particular assumptions and explanations are true-as if it is a good thing. Frankly, I think believing is dangerous. ... The thrust of my argument is simple: All of us think that our religion is "good" and that those in apparent (and often politically motivated) opposition to it are "bad." But the real truth is that all of our religions are equally guilty of being used to promote violence, and-thanks to centuries of political manipulation that have distorted the way we read our holy books-all of us are equally guilty of not following what our religions really say. ... The later chapters of this book explore belief and human nature in a new light to explain how Freud's theories of the subconscious and quantum physics' model of the subatomic universe offer some of the best proof we have that God exists; show us a way to restore religion to its rightful role in our lives and our world; and conclude that we're all a lot closer to where we should be than we think.
José M. Sánchez
"Pope Pius XII's alleged silence in the face of the destruction of the European Jews during World War II has been the subject of a fierce controversy that has continued unabated ever since Rolf Hochhuth's The Deputy made the charge so spectacularly in 1963. Numerous critics have accused Pius of everything from deliberate anti-Semitism to collusion with the Nazi regime, while equally partisan defenders have argued that his silent diplomacy saved hundreds of thousands of Jews and other innocent victims from Nazi terror. So contentious has Pius' role become that the phrase "the silence of Pius XII" has taken on a life of its own, beyond the facts.". "In this work, Jose M. Sanchez offers a new approach to the controversy. He discusses the reasons given for Pius' behavior by the significant authors who have contributed to the dispute and evaluates their findings in the light of the published documents. He studies the controversial events that critics have cited to prove their contentions about the Pope, from his role in the negotiation of the German concordat of 1933 to the end of World War II in 1945. Sanchez provides a full examination of Pius' public and private comments on the war and the destruction of the European Jews.". "This analysis moves outside the traditional views to rephrase the issues. It is the first work to clearly and completely summarize the basic charges and defenses. It is also the first to bring to the dispute a full treatment of Pius' personality in the context of the institutional framework within which he operated. With a conclusion that summarizes the findings and offers the author's judgment on the issues, this study will enable readers to evaluate and understand one of the most heated controversies of modern times."--BOOK JACKET.