The Power of Religious Publics: Staking Claims in American Society

by James K. Wellman Jr., William H. Swatos Jr. (Editor)

Currently, public religion is in a time of flux and the notion of the common good―once associated with the Protestant voice in America―is openly contested by new religious coalitions seeking to communicate their version of the truth and plant their stake in the public domain. This edited volume reflects on the changing tone and form of the public voice of religion, on its function in American society, and on its relationship to the private world of religion. It proposes that public religion, when exercised in a civil and accountable way, can be a responsible and prophetic voice in public life and enrich the American experiment in liberal democracy. The contributors―first-rate scholars including Martin Marty and Robert Belah―focus on public religion's influence on controversial issues such as multiculturalism, economic inequality, abortion, and homosexuality.

248 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 1999