Author: Thomas MatesPublisher: Hillcrest Publishing Group
ISBN: 1936780763
Category : Christianity
Languages : en
Pages : 255
Book Description
What religion do American "Christians" really believe in? Since the 4th century AD, true-to-the-Gospel Christianity has been a scarce commodity. Believers have always desired a religion more practical than the one in the Book - so much so that among politically active believers, Christianity long ago morphed into a religion more in line with the basic themes of Judaism and Islam (land, prosperity, justice, self-governance, and self-defense) than with the passive fatalism of Jesus and Paul. And since its beginnings in colonial New England, the American version of this Judeo-Islamic faith has continued to evolve, being reshaped time and again by the forces of history, national character, and even by advances in technology. A Judeo-Islamic Nation presents a new kind of religious criticism. Written by a scientist and nonbeliever, it presents an analysis intended not to defeat or marginalize religion, but simply to emphasize its human, evolving nature. A Judeo-Islamic Nation was written to stimulate a richer, more productive conversation between believers and nonbelievers, and between American Christians and Muslims. "This is a thoughtful examination of the role of religion in American public life. It shows how recent trends challenge both the traditional notion that religion is a private matter as well as the notion of a civil religion that unites everyone in the faith of Americanism." -Mark Juergensmeyer, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara, author of Global Rebellion: Religious Challenges to the Secular State