Fundamentalism In American Religion And Law: Obama's Challenge To Patriarchy's Threat To Democracy Obama's Challenge To Patriarchy's Threat To Democracy

Why, From Reagan To George Bush, Have Fundamentalists In Religion And In Law (originalists) Exercised Such Political Power And Influence In The United States? Why Has The Republican Party Forged An Ideology Of Judicial Appointments (originalism) Hostile To Abortion And Gay Rights? Why And How Did Barack Obama Distinguish Himself Among Democratic Candidates Not Only By His Opposition To The Iraq War But By His Opposition To Originalism? This Book Argues That Fundamentalism In Both Religion And Law Threatens Democratic Values And Draws Its Appeal From A Patriarchal Psychology Still Alive In Our Personal And Political Lives And At Threat From The Constitutional Developments Since The 1960s. The Argument Analyzes This Psychology (based On Traumatic Loss In Intimate Life) And Resistance To It (based On The Love Of Equals). Obama's Resistance To Originalism Arises From His Developmental History As A Democratic, As Opposed To Patriarchal, Man Who Resists The Patriarchal Demands On Men And Women That Originalism Enforces - In Particular, The Patriarchal Love Laws That Tell People Who And How And How Much They May Love.--jacket. The Progressive Recognition Of Human Rights Under American Constitutional Law -- The Fundamentalism Of Constitutional Originalism -- The Motivations Of Constitutional Fundamentalism -- Fundamentalism In Roman Catholicism -- Fundamentalism Among Protestants -- Mormon Fundamentalism -- Patriarchal Roots Of Constitutional Fundamentalism -- Fundamentalism In Religion And Law: A Critical Overview. David A. J. Richards. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 279-299) And Index. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Fundamentalism in American Religion and Law: Obama's Challenge to Patriarchy's Threat to Democracy......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 11 Fundamentalism In American Religion And Law......Page 13 Introduction: Defining The Problem......Page 15 1. The Right To Intimate Life......Page 28 2. Racism, Sexism, And Homophobia As Constitutional Evils: Moral Slavery......Page 37 3. Resistance To Patriarchal Voice As The Key To Resistance To Anti-semitism, Racism, Sexism, And Homophobia In The Civil Rights Movements Of The 1960s And Later......Page 45 4. The Repressive Psychology Of Patriarchy Under Threat......Page 60 Part I - Fundamentalism In Law......Page 63 2 The Fundamentalism Of Constitutional Originalism......Page 65 1. Originalism As Fundamentalism......Page 66 2. The Unreasonableness Of 'originalism’: A Critique......Page 68 3 The Motivations Of Constitutional Fundamentalism......Page 76 Part II - Fundamentalism In Religion......Page 95 4 Fundamentalism In Roman Catholicism......Page 97 1. Vatican Ii And The Fundamentalism Of New Natural Law......Page 99 A. Historical Thomism......Page 104 B. New Natural Law As Pseudo-thomism......Page 116 (i) Basic Goods......Page 117 (ii) Moral Absolutes......Page 126 3. The Substantive Unreasonableness Of New Natural Law......Page 127 4. Cultural And Psychological Roots......Page 145 1. Protestantism And Constitutional Democracy......Page 167 2. Contemporary Fundamentalist Protestantism......Page 174 3. A Critique Of Protestant Fundamentalism......Page 177 A. The Historical Jesus......Page 178 B. Patriarchal Formation Of Christian Tradition......Page 187 C. Dependence On Augustine......Page 189 4. Diagnosis: Patriarchal Culture And Psychology......Page 198 1. Mormon Fundamentalism......Page 207 2. The Unreasonableness Of Mormon Fundamentalism......Page 216 3. Patriarchal Culture And Psychology: The Role Of A Priesthood......Page 220 Part III - Fundamentalism In Law And Religion......Page 225 7 Patriarchal Roots Of Constitutional Fundamentalism......Page 227 1. The Political Alliance Of Religious Fundamentalists......Page 228 2. The Link Between Religious And Constitutional Fundamentalism......Page 232 1. Crapanzano And Sunstein On Fundamentalism......Page 245 2. The Promise Of Barack Obama For Democratic Constitutionalism......Page 251 3. Implications For Constitutional Law And Politics......Page 260 Conclusion: Patriarchy As The American Dilemma: Facing The Problem Of Fundamentalism At Home And Abroad......Page 270 Bibliography......Page 293 Index......Page 315 Why, from Reagan to George Bush, have fundamentalists in religion and in law (originalists) exercised such political power and influence in the United States? Why has the Republican Party forged an ideology of judicial appointments (originalism) hostile to abortion and gay rights? Why and how did Barack Obama distinguish himself among Democratic candidates not only by his opposition to the Iraq war but by his opposition to originalism? This book argues that fundamentalism in both religion and law threatens democratic values and draws its appeal from a patriarchal psychology still alive in our personal and political lives and at threat from the constitutional developments since the 1960s. The argument analyzes this psychology (based on traumatic loss in intimate life) and resistance to it (based on the love of equals). Obama s resistance to originalism arises from his developmental history as a democratic, as opposed to patriarchal, man who resists the patriarchal demands on men and women that originalism enforces in particular, the patriarchal love laws that tell people who and how and how much they may love."