Rediscovering America's Sacred Ground: Public Religion and Pursuit of the Good in a Pluralistic AmericaState University of New York Press, 1 de fev. de 2012 - 259 páginas Returning to the ideas of John Locke and the Founders themselves, Barbara A. McGraw examines the debate about the role of religion in American public life and unravels the confounded rhetoric on all sides. She reveals that no group has been standing on proper ground and that all sides have misused terminology (religion/secular), dichotomies (public/private), and concepts (separation of church and state) in ways that have little relevance to the original intentions of the Founders. She rediscovers a theology underlying the founding documents of the nation that is neither anyone's particular religion nor one requiring religion. Instead, it justifies freedom of conscience for all and provides a two-tiered public forum—a civic public forum and a conscientious public forum—for the debate itself and the actions that debate inspires. America's Sacred Ground—this theology and its public forum—determines the meaning of freedom and the ways in which Americans can pursue "the good": good government, good communities, good families, good relations between individuals, and good individuals from a plurality of perspectives. By exploring our past, McGraw answers the critical question, Who are we as a people and what do we stand for? |
Conteúdo
1 Toward a Debate on Common Ground | 1 |
Part I Looking Back to Rediscover Americas Sacred Ground | 21 |
2 Rediscovering the Roots of Americas Sacred Ground in John Locke | 23 |
Establishing Americas Sacred Ground | 61 |
Part II Rooting the Contemporary Debate in Sacred Ground | 107 |
4 Taking Sides and Looking Left | 109 |
5 Looking Right | 137 |
6 Grounding the Debate | 167 |
CONCLUSION | 175 |
APPENDIX A A Few Definitions | 185 |
APPENDIX B Freedom of Conscience in Revolutionary Period State Constitutions and Declarations of Rights | 193 |
Appendix C Drafts of the Religion Clauses Proposed in the Debates of the First Congress | 199 |
Notes | 203 |
Suggested Readings | 231 |
235 | |
Outras edições - Ver todos
Rediscovering America's Sacred Ground: Public Religion and Pursuit of the ... Barbara A. McGraw Prévia não disponível - 2003 |
Termos e frases comuns
Alasdair MacIntyre America's Sacred Ground American founders American system argued arguments assert believe Bill of Rights Carter Civic Public Forum civil government claim coercive comprehensive doctrine Conscientious Public Forum Consequently Constitution contends context culture Declaration of Rights Disbelief discourse Documentary History dominance established Evans example expression faith Flynn foundation free conscience free exercise freedom of conscience fundamental God's human Hutson inalienable rights individual conscience infringed James Madison John Locke Letter Concerning Toleration liberty Locke’s Locke's political theology magistrate Marilyn Manson ment moral relativity moral values natural one's oppression participation Patricia Ireland perspective Political Writings preserve principles Promise Keepers promote provides Public Reason Rawls Rawls's Reasonableness of Christianity recognize Religion Clauses religion in public religious right rights of conscience role of religion sacred civil rights Second Treatise secular left social contract society things Thomas Jefferson tion top-down overarching worldview tradition truth United University Press views virtue worship York