Rediscovering Americas Sacred Ground: Public Religion And Pursuit Of The Good In A Pluralistic America

REDISCOVERING AMERICA’S SACRED GROUND SUNY series, Religion and American Public Life William Dean, editor REDISCOVERING AMERICA’S SACRED GROUND ublic eligion and ursuit of the ood in a luralistic merica Barbara A. McGraw State University of New York Press Published by State University of New York Press, Albany © 2003 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207 Production by Michael Haggett Marketing by Anne M. Valentine Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McGraw, Barbara A. Rediscovering America’s sacred ground : public religion and pursuit of the good in a pluralistic America / Barbara A. McGraw. p. cm.—(SUNY series, religion and American public life) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–7914–5705–2 (alk. paper)—ISBN 0–7914–5706–0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Civil religion—United States. 2. United States—Religion. I. Title. II. Series. BL2525 .M42 2003 322⬘.1⬘0973—dc21 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2002042630 This book is dedicated to Patrick McCollum, my husband and champion and to my mother, Gloria McGraw, who taught me the value of a reasoned debate This page intentionally left blank. Contents Acknowledgments xi PROLOGUE xv CHAPTER 1: TOWARD A DEBATE ON COMMON GROUND At the Crossroads of the Twenty-First Century Roots of the Conflict Original Intent and the Religion Clauses: At the Core of the Debate Entering the Fray On Looking Back to Rediscover America’s Moral Foundations A Few Definitions 1 1 3 5 10 15 19 Part I Looking Back to Rediscover America’s Sacred Ground CHAPTER 2 REDISCOVERING THE ROOTS OF AMERICA’S SACRED GROUND IN JOHN LOCKE John Locke: Prophet of America Locke’s Political Theology: Locating the Sacred Center in Each Individual’s Relationship with God The Social Contract as Society’s Sacred Ground Aiming for the Kingdom of God Requires “Just Bounds” between Civil Government and Churches Rediscovering the Individual as the Sole Authority over Conscience and the Authentic Religious Community as a Free and Voluntary Call to Conscience Setting the “Just Bounds” between Individual Conscience’s Moral Choice and the State vii 23 23 25 34 41 45 47 viii CONTENTS Rethinking the Private/Public Dichotomy in Locke’s Political Theology and the “Public” Role of Religion Rediscovering the Moral Ground of Locke’s Political Theology Distinguishing Locke’s Reasonable Christianity from His Political Theology Creating the Political Context for the Realization of the True and the Good CHAPTER 3 THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION: ESTABLISHING AMERICA’S SACRED GROUND Rediscovering John Locke in the Revolutionary Spirit Rediscovering the Religious Roots of the American Political System The States: Toward Government that Ensures Freedom of Conscience and Seeks to Promote a Good Society The United States: Toward Government that Ensures Freedom of Conscience and Creates the Context for the Search for the True and the Good Exploring the Theological Terrain of America’s Sacred Ground Comparing the Moral Terrain of