The Columbia Documentary History of Religion in America Since 1945

This unique documentary history brings together manifestos, Supreme Court decisions, congressional testimonies, speeches, articles, book excerpts, pastoral letters, interviews, song lyrics, memoirs, and poems reflecting the vitality, diversity, and changing nature of religious belief and practice in America since 1945. Covering both the center and the margins of American religious life, these documents reflect the role of religion and theology in the civil rights, feminist, and gay rights movements as well as in the conservative responses to these. Issues regarding religion and contemporary American culture are explored in documents about the rise of the evangelical movement and the religious right; the impact of "new" (post-1965) immigrant communities on the religious landscape; the popularity of alternative, New Age, and non-Western beliefs; and the relationship between religion and popular culture. The editors conclude with selections exploring major themes of American religious life at the millennium as well as excerpts that speculate on the future of religion in the United States Expanded Contents Introduction: Religion and American Life Since World War II Editors' Acknowledgments Part 1 Religion in Cold War America: Cultures and Countercultures Chapter 1 Mainline Religion and the Cold War 1. HAROLD JOHN OCKENGA, "CONVOCATION ADDRESS FOR FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY" (1947) 2. FULTON J. SHEEN, PEACE OF SOUL (1949) 3. REINHOLD NIEBUHR, "THE INNOCENT NATION I NAN INNOCENT WORLD" (1952) 4. "LETTER TO THE PRESBYTERIANS FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY" (1953) 5. DOROTHY DAY, "OUR BROTHERS, THE COMMUNISTS" (1949, 1953). 6. WILL HERBERG, "PROTESTANT, CATHOLIC, JEW" (1955)7. THE CHURCH LEAGUE OF AMERICA, "A MANUAL FOR SURVIVAL" (1961) J.B. MATTHEWS, CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OF CERTAIN CLERGYMEN (1963) 8. J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHT, "THE ARROGANCE OF POWER" 1966) 9. NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS, "THE CHALLENGE OF PEACE" (1983) 10. RONALD REAGAN, "NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS REMARKS AT THE ANNUAL CONVENTION IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA" (1983) Chapter 2 Religion and the Counterculture 1. ALLEN GINSBERG, "A BLAKE EXPERIENCE" (1966). 2. ALAN WATTS, "BEGINNING A COUNTERCULTURE" (FROM IN MY OWN WAY, 1972), "PSYCHEDELICS AND RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE" (FROM DOES IT MATTER?, 1971)3. CHARLES REICH, THE GREENING OF AMERICA (1970) 4. TIMOTHY LEARY, "INTERPRETATIONS OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE" (FROM CHANGING MY MIND, AMONG OTHERS, 1982) 5. RAM DASS, REMEMBER, BE HERE NOW (1971) 6. DANIEL BERRIGAN, "BERRIGAN AT CORNELL" (1968) 7. SHIRLEY MACLAINE, GOING WITHIN (1989) 8. MEDICINE STORY, "SOMEWHERE UNDER THE RAINBOW"(1991) 9. SHUNRYU SUZUKI, "POSTURE" (1970) 10. GARY SNYDER, THE PRACTICE OF THE WILD (1990). 11. DUANE PEDERSON, THE JESUS PEOPLE (1971) HILEY WARD, THE FAR-OUT SAINTS OF THE JESUS COMMUNES (1971)12. KEITH HARRARY, "THE TRUTH ABOUT JONESTOWN" (1992) 13. FRITJOF CAPRA, "MODERN PHYSICS" (FROM THE TAO OF PHYSICS, 1983) Part 2 Gender, Race, and Politics in American Religion Since 1945 Chapter 3 Religion and the Civil Rights Movement 1. MARTIN LUTHER KING, "LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM CITY JAIL" (1963) 2. STUDENT NON-VIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE (SNCC), "FREEDOM SONGS" (1960s) 3. SNCC STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (1960) JAMES M. LAWSON JR., "WE ARE TRYING TO RAISE THE 'MORAL ISSUE'" (1960). 4. MARY KING, FREEDOM SONG (1987)5. MALCOLM X, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X (1965) 6. JAMES H. CONE, "THE WHITE CHURCH AND BLACK POWER" (1969) "GOD IS BLACK" (1970) 7. COMMITTEE OF BLACK CHURCHMEN, "THE BLACK MANIFESTO" (1969) "BLACK POWER" (1966) 8. VINCENT HARDING, "BLACK POWER AND THE AMERICAN CHRIST" (1967) 9. JACQUELYN GRANT, "BLACK THEOLOGY AND THE BLACK WOMAN" (1980) 10. CÉSAR A. CHÁVEZ, "THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN AND THE CHURCH" (1968) 11. LUIS FONTÁNEZ, "THE THEOLOGY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE" (1974) 12. VINE DELORIA JR., GOD IS RED (1973). Of late, religion seems to be everywhere, suffusing U.S. politics and popular culture and acting as both a unifying and a divisive force. This collection of manifestos, Supreme Court decisions, congressional testimonies, speeches, articles, book excerpts, pastoral letters, interviews, song lyrics, memoirs, and poems reflects the vitality, diversity, and changing nature of religious belief and practice in American public and private life over the last half century. Encompassing a range of perspectives, this book illustrates the ways in which individuals from all along the religious and political spectrum have engaged religion and viewed it as a crucial aspect of society. The anthology begins with documents that reflect the close relationship of religion, especially mainline Protestantism, to essential ideas undergirding Cold War America. Covering both the center and the margins of American religious life, this volume devotes extended attention to how issues of politics, race, gender, and sexuality have influenced the religious mainstream. A series of documents reflects the role of religion and theology in the civil rights, feminist, and gay rights movements as well as in conservative responses. Issues regarding religion and contemporary American culture are explored in documents about the rise of the evangelical movement and the religious right; the impact of "new" (post-1965) immigrant communities on the religious landscape; the popularity of alternative, New Age, and non-Western beliefs; and the relationship between religion and popular culture. The editors conclude with selections exploring major themes of American religious life at the millennium, including both conservative and New Age millennialism, as well as excerpts that speculate on the future of religion in the United States. The documents are grouped by theme into nine chapters and arranged chronologically therein. Each chapter features an extensive introduction providing context for and analysis of the critical issues raised by the primary sources.