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The American Bible: How Our Words Unite, Divide, and Define a Nation
Since Thomas Jefferson first recorded those self-evident truths in the Declaration of Independence, America has been a nation that has unfolded as much on the page and the podium as on battlefields or in statehouses. Here Stephen Prothero reveals which texts continue to generate controversy and drive debate. He then puts these voices into conversation, tracing how prominen...more
Hardcover, 544 pages
Published
May 29th 2012
by HarperOne
(first published May 15th 2012)
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I love politics. I don't think there is anyone around me who doesn't know that fact. I follow it as much as I can, as much as being a single father with a full time job will allow me to. I know enough to follow elections and debates with a degree of understanding. Hell, I follow it enough that I'm pretty sure I could identify every sitting Senator, if not by name, by face. I volunteer for campaigns. I wear campaign shirts. I voice my opinion, sometimes too much. I have never missed an election,...more
Stephen Prothero has created a collection of texts, organized them as if they were a sacred text -- based on the biblical layout, and offers it for our use.
Influential texts and sayings are organized according to this outline: Genesis, Law, Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Prophets, Lamentations, Gospels, Acts, and Epistles. We hear from Washington to Martin Luther King. Each chosen document is introduced, with notation, and commentary (responses to the documents) added. You may not agree with all...more
Influential texts and sayings are organized according to this outline: Genesis, Law, Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Prophets, Lamentations, Gospels, Acts, and Epistles. We hear from Washington to Martin Luther King. Each chosen document is introduced, with notation, and commentary (responses to the documents) added. You may not agree with all...more
This ambitious volume brings together texts, or excerpts from texts, that have shaped the United States of America as we know it. Tom Paine, Abraham Lincoln, Woody Guthrie, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., speeches and letters and court decisions and song lyrics, dreams and aspirations of a dozen generations, the words still bind us. There are excellent passages to give a historical and political context to each writer as well as commentaries -- agreements, disagreements -- by their cont...more
I really enjoyed reviewing some of the more influential documents and other works that have gone a long way to forming our shared political and cultural framework, as presented in this book. Works like the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Gettysburg Address, several presidential inaugural and farewell addresses, as well as works by those outside of government, such as Civil Disobedience, Letter from Birmingham Jail, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and Autobiography of Malcolm X. Each chapter offers...more
Stephen Prothero sets out with an ambitious goal: to have Americans talk to one another more civilly. In order to do this, we need to know what we're talking about. The Constitution; Huckleberry Finn; the Gettsyburg Address; Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a woman?" - these and other American pieces have shaped our national debate since before its founding. The book includes excerpts, or, in the case of shorter entries like songs and The Pledge of Allegiance, the entire piece. Each piece is placed in...more
The American Bible uses the essential American texts to tell a part of the story of our country and then commentaries from contemporaneous writers and later ones to help understand its impact in different eras of our country. I don't recommend sitting down and reading right through the entire volume. Rather, readers should dip into it from time-to-time and sample the documents before reading the commentaries in detail. The introductions to each reading place the text in the context of history. T...more
I did not read this book, but Roberto did, and he thinks this book should be read by everyone! Should be required reading in high school. After that endorsement I of course am going to read it.
Aug 08, 2012
Diane
marked it as to-read
Interviewed by Bob Edwards on 8/7/2012
I love the premise....not far enough along to know if I love the book. Never really got in to this and got distracted before it was due back to the library. Probably won't read.
If you want to fully understand what makes America America, read this book. It should be required reading in high schools. I love Stephen Prothero's books, but this one is tops on my list now. I learned so much.
Apr 06, 2013
Barbara Falconer Newhall
added it
Recommends it for:
All Americans
Shelves:
religion-spirituality
This is a book to keep on the night stand to read in bits and pieces. Very entertaining as well as enlightening. http://barbarafalconernewhall.com/201...
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Gwinnett County P...: The American Bible | 1 | 1 | Oct 09, 2012 07:32am |
Stephen Prothero is a professor in the Department of Religion at Boston University and the author of numerous books, most recently Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know—And Doesn't and American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Idol. He has commented on religion on dozens of National Public Radio programs and on television on CNN, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, MSNBC and Comedy Cent...more
More about Stephen R. Prothero...
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