The Foundations of American Jewish Liberalism (Cambridge Studies in Social Theory, Religion and Politics) - Softcover

Wald, Kenneth D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1108708854 ISBN 13: 9781108708852

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2019

Synopsis

American Jews have built a political culture based on the principle of equal citizenship in a secular state. This durable worldview has guided their political behavior from the founding to the present day. In The Foundations of American Jewish Liberalism, Kenneth D. Wald traces the development of this culture by examining the controversies and threats that stimulated political participation by American Jews. Wald shows that the American political environment, permeated by classic liberal values, produced a Jewish community that differs politically from non-Jews who resemble Jews socially and from Jewish communities abroad. Drawing on survey data and extensive archival research, the book examines the ups and downs of Jewish attachment to liberalism and the Democratic Party and the tensions between two distinct strains of liberalism.

About this title

Book Description:

American Jews have built a political culture based on the principle of equal citizenship in a secular state. This book examines how this worldview developed and how it has influenced American Jews' political behavior since the founding. It offers insights for readers interested in history, law, politics, religion, and Judaism.

About the Author:

Kenneth D. Wald is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science and the Samuel R. 'Bud' Shorstein Professor Emeritus of American Jewish Culture and Society at the University of Florida. He is the author of Religion and Politics in the United States (8th edition, 2018), The Politics of Cultural Differences (2002) Private Lives, Public Conflicts (1997) and Crosses on the Ballot (2016).

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1108708854
• ISBN 13: 9781108708852
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272