Papal visit highlights state of religious relations in U.S.
New UMass Press book provides context
Pope Benedict’s first American visit highlights the integral and amiable relationship between the United States and the Holy See. It wasn’t always this way. Strife between Catholics and Protestants was a fact of life in colonial America, and distrust between the two groups lasted well into the last century.
The new University of Massachusetts Press book, Religious Liberty in America: The First Amendment in Historical and Contemporary Perspective by Bruce T. Murray, follows the development of religious pluralism in America for the past 400 years – from early conflicts between Protestants and Catholics to the current dizzying diversity of religious groups – all jockeying for their place at the American table.
Throughout his discussion, Murray keeps a close eye on current issues, such as the mixing of religion and politics, battles over religious symbols in the public square, the “culture wars,” immigration, faith-based initiatives, and the Supreme Court.
“Bruce Murray seeks to lay out historically and conceptually the issues behind the two religious liberty clauses in the First Amendment. In doing so, he introduces and traces such significant topics as the development of religious pluralism and its ironic counterpart, civil religion. Nowhere is there such a clear and concise explanation of the issues as Murray offers in this book.”
– Philip Goff, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis.
Purchase Religious Liberty in America on Amazon.com or the University of Massachusetts Press Web site.
Find out more about the author here.