Description
Study of church and state in the United States is incredibly complex. Scholars working in this area have backgrounds in law, religious studies, history, theology, and politics, among other fields. Historically, they have focused on particular angles or dimensions of the church-state relationship, because the field is so vast. The results have mostly been monographs that focus only on narrow cross-sections of the field, and the few works that do aim to give larger perspectives are reference works of factual compendia, which offer little or no analysis.The Oxford Handbook of Church and State in the United States fills this gap, presenting an extensive, multidimensional overview of the field. Twenty-one essays offer a scholarly look at the intricacies and past and current debates that frame the American system of church and state, within five main areas: history, law, theology/philosophy, politics, and sociology. These essays provide factual accounts, but also address issues, problems, debates, controversies, and, where appropriate, suggest resolutions. They also offer analysis of the range of interpretations of the subject offered by various American scholars. This Handbook is an invaluable resource for the study of church-state relations in the United States.
Table of Contents
Part One: Introduction 1. Religious Pluralism as the Essential Foundation of America's Quest for Unity and Order, Derek H. DavisPart Two: Historical Dimensions2. The Founding Era (1774-1797) and the Constitutional Provision for Religion, John F. Wilson 3. Eighteenth-Century Religious Liberty: The Founding Generation's Protestant-Derived Understanding, Barry Alan Shain4. Church and State in Nineteenth-Century America, Steven K. Green5. Religious Advocacy by American Religious Institutions: A History, Melissa RogersPart Three: Constitutional Dimensions6. Constitutional Language and Judicial Interpretations of the Free Exercise Clause, Bette Novitt Evans7. The U.S. Supreme Court and Non-First Amendment Religion Cases, Ronald B. Flowers8. The Meaning of the Separation of Church and State: Competing Views, Daniel L. Dreisbach9. Managed Pluralism: The Emerging Church-State Model in the United States? Nicholas GvosdevPart Four: Theological and Philosophical Dimensions10. Religious Liberty and Religious Minorities in the United States, Elizabeth A. Sewell11. Religious Symbols and Religious Expression in the Public Square, T. Jeremy Gunn12. Religious Liberty as a Democratic Institution, Ted G. Jelen13. Pursuit of the Moral Good and the Church-State Conundrum in the United States: The Politics of Sexual Orientation beyond Lawrence, Andrew R. Murphy and Caitlin KerrPart Five: Political Dimensions14. Monitoring and Surveillance of Religious Groups in the United States, James T. Richardson and Thomas Robbins15. The U.S. Congress: Protecting and Accommodating Religion, Allen D. Hertzke16. The Christian Right and Church-State Issues, Clyde Wilcox and Sam Potolicchio17. American Religious Liberty in International Perspective, John Witte, Jr.Part Six: Sociological Dimensions18. Supply-Side Changes in American Religion: Exploring the Implications of Church-State Relations, Roger Finke19. Peeking through Jefferson's Wall: A Sociological Assessment of U.S. Church-State Relations, N.J. Demerath, III20. The Role of Civil Religion in American Society, Richard V. PierardPart Seven: Conclusion21. The Interplay of Law, Religion, and Politics in the United States, Derek H. Davis
