Religious Intolerance in America: A Documentary History

by John Corrigan (Editor), Lynn S. Neal (Editor)

American narratives often celebrate the nation's rich heritage of religious freedom. There is, however, a less told and often ignored part of the story: the ways that intolerance and cultures of hate have manifested themselves within American religious history and culture.
In the first ever documentary survey of religious intolerance from the colonial era to the present, volume editors John Corrigan and Lynn S. Neal define religious intolerance and explore its history and manifestations, including hate speech, discrimination, incarceration, expulsion, and violence. Organized thematically, the volume combines the editors' discussion with more than 150 striking primary texts and pictures that document intolerance toward a variety of religious traditions. Moving from anti-Catholic Ku Klux Klan propaganda to mob attacks on Mormons, the lynching of Leo Frank, the kidnapping of "cult" members, and many other episodes, the volume concludes with a chapter addressing the changing face of religious intolerance in the twenty-first century, with examples of how the problem continues to this day.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, American History, Politics

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 10, 2010

About the author

John Corrigan is the Lucius Moody Bristol Distinguished Professor of Religion and Professor of History at Florida State University. He is author or editor of several books, including The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Emotion.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

A handy review of, as the title implies, American religious intolerance, organized by subject and excerpting source documents ranging from legislation to pamphlets to, in modern-day examples, blog posts and websites.

The introductory essays in each chapter plus contextualizing paragraphs before each set of documents are helpful, though they tend toward the verbose and, as the book moves into its later chapters, abruptly shift into a style best described as "book club discussion questions." Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the change is a little jarring.

Definitely a good resource material, although it would have been better had the intros been shorter and the documentary history longer.

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Fascinating look at religious intolerance in America and how it evolved, from the Mormons of yore to Waco. Got me to stop using the word "cult." A bit dense since it covers so much content.