Synopses & Reviews
Currently, public religion is in a time of flux and the notion of the common good—once associated with the Protestant voice in America—is openly contested by new religious coalitions seeking to communicate their version of the truth and plant their stake in the public domain. This edited volume reflects on the changing tone and form of the public voice of religion, on its function in American society, and on its relationship to the private world of religion. It proposes that public religion, when exercised in a civil and accountable way, can be a responsible and prophetic voice in public life and enrich the American experiment in liberal democracy. The contributors—first-rate scholars including Martin Marty and Robert Belah—focus on public religion's influence on controversial issues such as multiculturalism, economic inequality, abortion, and homosexuality.
Review
"Public religion is the central ideological conundrum in American society today, and this excellent set of essays provides the best overview of the subject that I know." < p="">Mark Silk^LDirector, Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life^LTrinity College, Hartford <>
Review
"This is a thought-provoking book….[U]seful in graduate classes on organizational theory and, of course, religion. General Rev Srce Contemporary Sociology." - Contemporary Sociology
Review
"The essays in the collection are accessible and well written, and reflect the level of scholarship brought by the contributing authors. [T]he collection is a pleasure to read, and provides much food for thought about the ramifications of religion engaged in the world. An important subject for anyone interested in the life and interaction of religious bodies, this collection will also provide those engaged in public life religious communities much to think about." - Sociology of Religion
Synopsis
Examines the changing tone and form of the public voice of religion, its function in American society, and its relationship to the private world of religion.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [225]-227) and index.
About the Author
WILLIAM H. SWATOS, JR. is Executive Officer of the Association for the Sociology of Religion and of the Religious Research Association.JAMES K. WELLMAN, JR. is a Lecturer in the Comparative Religion Program at the University of Washington.
Table of Contents
Preface
The Public and the Public's Publics by Martin E. Marty
Can Religion Be Religious in Public? by Phillip Hammond
Public Religion vis-a-vis the Prophetic Role of Religion by James E. Wood, Jr.
Multiculturalism and Public Religion: Is There a Common American Culture? by Robert N. Bellah
Why Study About Religion? The Contribution of the Study of Religion to American Public Life by Jacob Neusner and William Scott Green
Table Manners: Sitting Around the Public Table by Peggy L. Shriver
Public Religion and Economic Inequality by James D. Davidson and Ralph E. Pyle
Religious Identity and Public Discourse: On the Importance of Common Ground in the Public Church by James R. Kelly
Religion Out of the Closet: Public Religion and Homosexuality by James K. Wellman, Jr.
Public Religion and New Religions by James T. Richardson
Public Religion and Hegemony: Contesting the Language of the Common Good by Rhys H. Williams
The Public and the Pubic: Is Nothing Private Any More? by William H. Swatos, Jr.
Selected Bibliography
Index