Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Two Cornell University professors have teamed up to write a polemic that attacks the Christian Right for breaching the high wall between church and state enshrined by the Founders in the U.S. Constitution. The authors convincingly explain the secular nature of the federal government and guide the reader through the thinking that lay behind its creation. Along the way they explore attacks on the Constitution—the fight over Sunday mail and a Christian amendment—as well as the proponents of a strict separation—like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Perhaps the most striking observation in the book is the role American Baptists have played historically in supporting the idea of a secular state; a far cry from their present attempts to designate the U.S. a Christian nation. Thank the Supreme Power Who Created Us All, that the Founders of this republic were wiser than that." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)