On religion and politics

Book analyzes Barack Obama’s ‘civil religious’ language

The political discourse in the U.S. presidential campaign has often crossed over into religious territory – most recently statements made by Barack Obama on “guns or religion” and reaction to comments made by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr.

The University of Massachusetts Press book, Religious Liberty in America: The First Amendment in Historical and Contemporary Perspective by Bruce T. Murray, provides a clear explanation of the connection between religion and politics in America.

In the context of the current presidential debate, Murray offers concise analyses of civil religion, the social gospel, and the “prophetic tradition” in the African American Church. Obama anchors his rhetoric in all of these traditions.

“Imagine Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address without reference to ‘the judgments of the Lord,’ or King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech without reference to ‘all of God’s children?’” Murray quotes Obama from his book, The Audacity of Hope (a title lifted from one of Wright’s sermons.)

Religious Liberty in America surveys the development of civil religion and religious pluralism in America for the past 400 years – from early colonial times to present controversies, such as 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.