Religious Myths and Visions of America : How Minority Faiths Redefined America's World Role

At the heart of American studies is the idea of America itself. Here, Buck looks at the religious significance of America by examining those religions that have attached some kind of spiritual meaning to America. The author explores how American Protestantism-and nine minority faiths-have projected America into the mainstream of world history by defining-and by redefining-America's world role. Surveying the religious myths and visions of America of ten religions, Buck shows how minority faiths have redefined America's sense of national purpose. This book invites serious reflection on what it means to be an American, particularly from a religious perspective.Religious myths of America are thought-orienting narratives that serve as vehicles of spiritual and social truths about the United States itself. Religious visions of America are action-oriented agendas that articulate the goals to which America should aspire and the role it should play in the community of nations. Buck examines the distinctive perspectives held by ten religious traditions that inform and expand on the notion of America, and its place in the world. He covers Native American, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Christian Identity, Black Muslim, Islamic, Buddhist, and Baha'i beliefs and invites serious reflection on what it means to be an American, particularly from a religious perspective. 1. America : Nation And Notion : -- Civil Myths Of America And Civil Religion -- Religious Myths And Visions Of America -- Racial Myths And Visions Of America -- 2. Native American Myths And Visions Of America : -- The Turtle Island Myth And The Myth Of Mother Earth -- The Deganawidah Legend -- The Iroquois Influence Thesis : Myth Or History? -- 3. Protestant Myths And Visions Of America : -- The Puritan Myth Of America -- The Manifest Destiny Myth -- The Curse Of Ham Myth -- The African American Exodus Counter-myth -- 4. Catholic Myths And Visions Of America : -- Papal Praise Of America -- The Americanist Myth Of America -- Papal Responses To The Americanist Myth Of America -- Can The Americanist Myth Of America Become A Reality? -- 5. Jewish Myths And Visions Of America : -- Jewish Visions Of America As A Mirror Of Jewish Ideologies -- The Jewish Myth Of America As The Promised Land -- The Jewish Myth Of Columbus --^ Jewish Prayers For America : Communal Visions Of America -- Orthodox Judaism's Traditional Prayer For The Government -- Conservative Judaism's Vision Of America -- Reform Judaism's Vision Of America -- Reconstructionist Judaism's Vision Of America -- Jewish Americanism: The Cult Of Synthesis -- 6. Mormon Myths And Visions Of America : -- The Garden Of Eden Myth -- The Lost Tribes Myth -- The Columbus Myth -- The Constitution Myth -- The Founding Fathers Myth -- The Theodemocracy Myth -- The America As Zion Myth -- The Mark Of Cain Myth -- 7. Christian Identity Myths And Visions Of America : -- The Two-seed Myth -- The Mud Races Myth -- The Lost Tribes Myth -- The White Homeland Myth -- The Racial Holy War Myth -- 8. Black Muslim Myths And Visions Of America : -- The Yacub Myth -- The Mother Plane Myth -- The Destruction Of America Myth -- 9. Contemporary Muslim Myths And Visions Of America : -- The Great Satan Myth -- The Axis Of Evil Counter-mutj --^ Efforts To Dispel The Great Satan Myth And To Minimize The Fallout From The Axis Of Evil Myth -- 10. Buddhist Myths And Visions Of America : -- Soka Gakkai's Myth Of America's Second Renaissance -- Robert Thurman's Myth Of America's Second Renaissance -- The Dalai Lama's Buddhist Democracy Myth And Vision Of America's World Role -- 11. Bahá'í Myths And Visions Of America : -- A Brief Introduction To The Bahá'í Faith -- Bahá'í Myths As A Sacred History Of America -- The Bahá'í Emancipation/civil War Myth -- The Bahá'í Wilsonian Myth -- The Bahá'í Vision Of The Destiny Of America -- 12. Conclusion: How Minority Faiths Redefined America's World Role : -- Religious Myths And Visions Of America Recapitulated -- An Overview Of America's World Role -- Final Reflections: A World Civil Religion? Christopher Buck. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [271]-301) And Index. 1: America: Nation and Notion 2: Native American Myths and Visions of America 3. Protestant Myths and Visions of America 4. Catholic Myths and Visions of America 5. Jewish Myths and Visions of America 6. Mormon Myths and Visions of America 7. Christian Identity Myths and Visions of America 8. Black Muslim Myths and Visions of America 9. Contemporary Muslim Myths and Visions of America 10. Buddhist Myths and Visions of America 11. Baha'i Myths and Visions of America 12. Conclusion: How Minority Faiths Redefined America's World Role