Christianity, not religion in general, has been important for American democracy. With this bold thesis, Hugh Heclo offers a panoramic view of how Christianity and democracy have shaped each other.
Heclo shows that amid deeply felt religious differences, a Protestant colonial society gradually convinced itself of the truly Christian reasons for, as well as the enlightened political advantages of, religious liberty. By the mid-twentieth century, American democracy and Christianity appeared locked in a mutual embrace. But it was a problematic union vulnerable to fundamental challenge in the Sixties. Despite the subsequent rise of the religious right and glib talk of a conservative Republican theocracy, Heclo sees a longer-term, reciprocal estrangement between Christianity and American democracy.
Responding to his challenging argument, Mary Jo Bane, Michael Kazin, and Alan Wolfe criticize, qualify, and amend it. Heclo’s rejoinder suggests why both secularists and Christians should worry about a coming rupture between the Christian and democratic faiths. The result is a lively debate about a momentous tension in American public life.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Hugh Heclo is Robinson Professor of Public Affairs, George Mason University.
Mary Jo Bane is Thornton Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Management at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Michael Kazin is Professor of History, Georgetown University.
Alan Wolfe is Director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life and Professor of Political Science, Boston College.
Theda Skocpol is Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University. Her previous works include the prize-winning States and Social Revolutions.
“In this compelling volume, Hugh Heclo is exceedingly precise on what he takes Christianity and democracy to mean; on what Alexis de Tocqueville thought about the two; and on why he feels the successful American confluence of Christianity and democracy has been under grave threat since the 1960s. The admirable precision of Heclo's argument elicits, in turn, admirably precise rejoinders from three distinguished scholars. The result is a very fine book on a very important subject.”―Mark A. Noll, University of Notre Dame, author of The Civil War as a Theological Crisis
“Heclo makes a strong case for the importance of Christianity in the shaping of American democracy.”―E. J. Eisenach, Choice
“Hugh Heclo offers an elegant and thoughtful essay in Christianity and American Democracy, together with responses by two political scientists and a historian... Heclo argues that not only does American democracy have a Christianity problem, but Christianity has a democracy problem. There is an inherent tension between religious commitment and political allegiance...and reconciling them is always a fudge of some kind. Heclo rehearses, lucidly and economically, the history of America's different modes of fudging the issue. He documents the input of Christian ideas into the development of the democratic concept of the individual... Hugh Heclo's book shows clearly that America's culture wars are just a specific case of the general problem of religion in democratic pluralist polities.”―Bernice Martin, Times Literary Supplement
“Let me say it straight out: Hugh Heclo's Christianity and American Democracy is one of the most suggestive books on religion and the public square to have appeared in some years.”―Richard John Neuhaus, First Things
“[A] deeply engaging book... Heclo's book performs a valuable service.”―Thomas E. Schneider, Claremont Review of Books
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 3.75
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Seller: HPB-Red, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_378519488
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00069614367
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: Half Price Books Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_403902346
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Book Deals, Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.
Condition: Fair. Acceptable/Fair condition. Book is worn, but the pages are complete, and the text is legible. Has wear to binding and pages, may be ex-library. 0.85. Seller Inventory # 353-0674032306-acp
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Buy with confidence! Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 0.85. Seller Inventory # bk0674032306xvz189zvxgdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GF Books, Inc., Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. 0.85. Seller Inventory # 0674032306-2-3
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Book Deals, Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Very Good condition. Shows only minor signs of wear, and very minimal markings inside (if any). 0.85. Seller Inventory # 353-0674032306-vrg
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books of the Smoky Mountains, Del Rio, TN, U.S.A.
Condition: very good. Gently used book with ongoing seller support until you're fully satisfied with your purchase. Seller Inventory # oldport0674032306
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: very good. Very Good Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think_very_0674032306
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldenWavesOfBooks, Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0674032306
Quantity: 1 available