American Religious Democracy : Coming to Terms with the End of Secular Politics

The most significant, public religious issue confronting America today is the relationship between Church and State. Secular opinion holds that the rise of religion in the public square is a threat to our democracy that must be resisted. American Religious Democracy argues that this position, although understandable, is misguided. American political life after the 2004 Presidential election is best understood as a religious democracy, though not of a fundamentalist variety. This book explains the decline of secular democracy, describes some of the legal, political and religious implications of this new religious democracy and, finally, invites secular voters to participate in religious democracy. The 2004 election clearly showed that a substantial number of voters in America now vote the way they do for what they consider to be religious reasons and that, as a result of their voting, government policy is changing to reflect their religious commitments. The result has been the creation of a religious democracy. However,taking part in a religious democracy, for Americans especially, requires a new understanding of what religion means in a public and political sense. Ledewitz takes a reasoned, yet lively approach to the subject, promoting a a new understanding of what religious democracy is and how secularists can and should participate. Looking at the Constitution, the current nature of politics and religion, and public attitudes toward capitalism, the environment, technology, women's rights, and international relations, the author is able to construct a clearer picture of the religious and political landscape in America today. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 PART I: THE COLLAPSE OF AMERICAN SECULAR DEMOCRACY......Page 20 1 The Presidential Election of 2004......Page 22 2 The Establishment and Content of the American Secular Consensus......Page 32 3 Cracks in the Foundations of the American Secular Consensus......Page 44 4 Religious Elements in American Constitutional Democracy......Page 56 5 Religious Elements in Deep Political Life......Page 68 6 The Separation of Church and State in Principle......Page 78 7 The Separation of Church and State in Constitutional Doctrine......Page 88 PART II: IS RELIGIOUS DEMOCRACY POSSIBLE?......Page 102 8 How Does Our Constitution Change?......Page 104 9 The Problems of Religion in Democracy......Page 120 10 The Constitutional Doctrines of Religious Democracy......Page 132 11 The Theology of Religious Democracy......Page 144 12 The Political Theory and Policies of Religious Democracy......Page 158 PART III: THE RELIGIOUS VOID IN AMERICAN POLITICAL LIFE......Page 172 13 The Current Political Imbalance in American Religious Democracy......Page 174 14 Biblical Religion and Secular Believers......Page 186 15 The Radical Politics of Biblical Religion......Page 196 16 God, the Secular Voter, and American Political Life......Page 208 Conclusion: The Coming Religious Renewal of the Democratic Left......Page 220 Afterword: The 2006 Midterm Election......Page 222 Notes......Page 226 Selected Bibliography......Page 242 Index......Page 246 The Collapse Of American Secular Democracy -- Is Religious Democracy Possible? -- The Religious Void In American Political Life. By Bruce Ledewitz. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [223]-225) And Index.