Dear {GENDER} {LAST_NAME}:

Martin Luther King, Jr. is remembered for his words, his deeds and his spirit. Dr. King lives on in his landmark speeches, which are well-known throughout the world. King's rhetoric is so familiar, one might overlook his precise choice of words and the meaning behind them. In particular, King employed the language of civil religion – a belief system that binds the nation’s deepest-held values with transcendent meaning.

Religious Liberty in America: The First Amendment in Historical and Contemporary Perspective by Bruce T. Murray, analyzes King’s rhetoric in the context of civil religion. Dr. King lines up with Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and John Winthrop as an exemplar of this tradition. During the civil rights movement, King used the language of civil religion to show how the nation had fallen short on the covenant made by America’s Founders:

“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir,” King said in his landmark “I Have a Dream” speech, Aug. 28, 1963, in Washington, D.C. “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

In his appeal to a higher authority to address the nation’s shortcomings, King applied a potent mix of civil religion and the prophetic tradition in African-American religion.

Religious Liberty in America explores the origins of civil religion and how it has been enunciated throughout American history – from colonial times up to the political career of Barack Obama. In addition to civil religion, Murray reviews the 400-year history of religious liberty in America, focusing especially on the Supreme Court, religion in public schools and faith-based initiatives. Throughout, Murray keeps a close eye on current issues, such as battles over religious symbols in the public square, the “culture wars,” and immigration.

“This book is a splendid presentation of the First Amendment, 'with civil religion as a parallel theme' — especially as presently related to so many issues in American political and religious life. Other books on these issues have been appearing of late, but none as clear and thorough as this one. Bruce T. Murray, a journalist, hopes this book is 'an easy read on a tough topic.' His hope is definitely realized in this volume, which should be required reading for all journalists who touch on this book's subject.”
— G.H. Shriver, Professor Emeritus, Georgia Southern University

Religious Liberty in America is available at libraries throughout North America, and it may be purchased from the University of Massachusetts Press.

Read about the author on SageLaw.