The Myth of American Religious Freedom Rating :
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
Interesting argument, challenging read
By iHappy
As I understand the author's argument, there have been two dominant trends in America's relationship with religion. One is based on the idea that America is a Christian nation, and religion and politics work together for the common good. The other is the idea that the United States is based on separation of religion and politics. These two trends have been in conflict from the beginning (from before the beginning even), and the struggle between their adherents has shaped important developments in American history. The author frames that history as a debate between those who promote the "moral establishment" as necessary for fulfillment of American ideals, and those whose full participation in American political life is threatened by the establishment. It's an interesting argument, well documented and thoroughly explained, and intuitive in our own time--which, of course, is the whole point, or ought to be. The argument is compelling, and the author's own background as an ex-evangelical gives him a unique perspective, one that informs the thinking throughout the book. If you like stimulating thought, and having your assumptions challenged, then reinforced, and then challenged again, you will profit from this book.
One minor criticism: I found the writing at times a bit dull. Sentences are routinely long, with multiple modifiers, and explanatory clauses tacked on to the introductory phrases instead of separated into shorter sentences. There are flashes of really good writing, but many people, especially college students, will be looking to the end of the chapter to see how many pages they have left. They may even be tempted to skip a few. That would be too bad. Good books deserve good readers, and while I wish the writing were a bit more engaging, this is a good book. I look forward to more from this author.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
A must read
By emerson
This book challenges long-cherished notions by both the right and the left, so it is no surprise that both the right and the left feel threatened by its central message. The argument is deceptively simple--America has always had a Protestant Christian establishment which has worked to repress other faiths. At no point does Sehat deny that we have an intellectual tradition that privileges religious freedom (Jefferson and Madison made sure of that), but he places this within its proper legal and political context. Religious establishments tend to fend off rivals by means both subtle and forceful, and Sehat labors to reveal them all.
Those who enjoy reading and thinking will enjoy this book. It is not for the small minded, but neither is it impenetrable. It is instead alive with ideas which are not dressed up in academic jargon, but are rather expressed clearly and forcefully.
One final note. This book makes a persuasive argument, but it is not one with which I agree. One of this book's most rewarding features is that it invites people to engage. I recommend it to anyone who likes not just to read about history, but to think about its meaning.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful.iconoclastic take on the idea of religious freedom.
By James V. Holton
As the teach of a secular subject (history) at a Christian college, I was well aware of the arguments that stated an unequivocal "Christian nation" which privileges Christian "religious liberty" first and foremost. Likewise, I was aware of the liberal arguments that posited a secular religious liberty tradition dating back to the country's founding, and which needed tending and revitalization if we were to truly honor the First Amendment.
Sehat's book wades full-on into that debate. He tackles this issue forthrightly by doubting the primordial religious freedom both sides espouse. Instead, Sehat argues that the boundaries of religious freedom have been formed by that very debate, subject to change and interpretation, but mostly shaped by the existence of a "Protestant moral establishment" that decreed what was and was not (religiously) acceptable.
The Myth of American Religious freedom is a nuanced, sophisticated book that goes beyond mere Constitutional arguments and into larger the larger political and social climate of US religion. Sehat links American religious freedom with the rise of the Protestant moral establishment, and traces its development to the present day, and forecasts its future. Sehat points out that morality and law are linked to religious values, indeed that they have intimately informed them in the American context. To suggest otherwise is to suggest that religion has not been taken seriously by Americans. His middle chapters on slavery and women's rights should cause readers to think how extensive this link is. As such, to argue some sort of pre-existing state of consensus religious freedom is nearly impossible.
Sehat leaves plenty of room discussing the dissent from this establishment how the idea of a peaceful religious consensus has never been the case. As a result, Sehat forcefully argues that coercion and the use of law to enforce morality begs the question--to what religious freedom were Americans ever agreeing?
Sehat concludes with a powerful finish that strips both "left" and "right" of the notion that they have history exclusively on their side. By doing so, Sehat forces us to rethink the idea of religious freedom for our present day.
Product Description
In the battles over religion and politics in America, both liberals and conservatives often appeal to history. Liberals claim that the Founders separated church and state. But for much of American history, David Sehat writes, Protestant Christianity was intimately intertwined with the state. Yet the past was not the Christian utopia that conservatives imagine either. Instead, a Protestant moral establishment prevailed, using government power to punish free thinkers and religious dissidents.
In The Myth of American Religious Freedom, Sehat provides an eye-opening history of religion in public life, overturning our most cherished myths. Originally, the First Amendment applied only to the federal government, which had limited authority. The Protestant moral establishment ruled on the state level. Using moral laws to uphold religious power, religious partisans enforced a moral and religious orthodoxy against Catholics, Jews, Mormons, agnostics, and others. Not until 1940 did the U.S. Supreme Court extend the First Amendment to the states. As the Supreme Court began to dismantle the connections between religion and government, Sehat argues, religious conservatives mobilized to maintain their power and began the culture wars of the last fifty years. To trace the rise and fall of this Protestant establishment, Sehat focuses on a series of dissenters--abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, socialist Eugene V. Debs, and many others.
Shattering myths held by both the left and right, David Sehat forces us to rethink some of our most deeply held beliefs. By showing the bad history used on both sides, he denies partisans a safe refuge with the Founders.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #628789 in Books
- Published on: 2011-01-14
- Original language:English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.25" h x6.26" w x1.13" l,1.45 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 368 pages
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