Religion In America Since 1945

Religion in America Since Columbia Histories of Modern American Life 1945: A History Columbia Histories of Modern American Life The books in this new series are concise interpretive histories focusing on major aspects of the American experience since World War II. Written by leading historians, the books draw on recent scholarship to create a lively and interesting account of the subject at hand. The books are written accessibly with a general reader/student audience in mind. Each volume includes an excellent bibliography and a detailed index. Religion in America Since 1945: A History Patrick Allitt Columbia University Press N e w Yo r k Columbia University Press Publishers Since 1893 New York Chichester, West Sussex © 2003 Columbia University Press All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Allitt, Patrick. Religion in America since 1945 : a history / Patrick Allitt. p. cm. — (Columbia histories of modern American life) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–231–12154–7 (alk paper) 1. United States—Religion—1945– I. Title. II. Series. BL2525.A44 2003 200'.973'09045—dc21 2003055288 Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper. Printed in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For Thomson Smillie v Contents Preface 1. Anxious Victory: 1945–1952 The War’s End The American Religious Landscape Cold War of the Spirit Spiritual Peace in the 1940s 2. Religion and Materialism: 1950–1970 Fighting Godless Communism Religious Intellectuals in the 1950s Eisenhower Spirituality Church Buildings 3. Religion, Respect, and Social Change: 1955–1968 African American Religion The Civil Rights Movement Begins White Christians and Civil Rights Nonviolence in Decline Mormon America xi 1 1 5 12 16 21 21 26 31 33 43 44 47 52 55 59 viii 4. New Frontiers and Old Boundaries: 1960–1969 The Catholic President The Supreme Court and Religion in Schools Vietnam, Part I Radical Theology Catholic Reform Contents 65 65 68 70 72 80 5. Shaking the Foundations: 1963–1972 87 American Judaism Vietnam, Part II Catholic Challenges to Church Discipline African American Religion After King 87 100 107 111 6. Alternative Religious Worlds: 1967–1982 116 Space Travel Feminism and Ministry Feminist Theology New Religions, “Cults,” and Their Critics Asian Spirituality in American Dress 7. Evangelicals and Politics: 1976–1990 Jimmy Carter and the Evangelical Presidency The New Christian Right and the Reagan Campaign The Abortion Controversy Wives and Mothers 116 122 127 133 140 148 148 150 159 164 8. The Christian Quest for Justice and Wisdom: 1980–1995 170 The Antinuclear Movement Sanctuary Creationism and Evolution Christian Academies and Home Schooling 9. Profits, Profligates, and Prophets: 1987–1995 The Evangelical Scandals A Minister in the White House? American Islam 10. The New World Order: 1989–1999 End of the Cold War Religion and Violence Environmental Spirituality Megachurches 171 174 180 185 191 191 195 198 208 208 212