Positive Neutrality: Letting Religious Freedom Ring

Front Cover
Bloomsbury Academic, 1993 - Political Science - 277 pages

Church-state relations are becoming more and more critical. Deepening controversies over church-state relations, the increasing religious pluralism of American society, and the changing makeup of the Supreme Court are forcing a rethinking of approaches to church and state in the public policy realm. Stephen Monsma offers a new approach rooted in structural pluralism as a normative way to understand church-state relations. He suggests that the government should use a principle of positive neutrality in handling church-state relations. He integrates historical, theoretical, social, and legal perspectives and writes in a lively manner for interdisciplinary audiences of students, scholars, and general readers.

This study provides an historical background of church and state relations in American society and discusses the development of church-state theory and practice. The author argues that confusions today can be traced back to flaws in the disestablishment settlement of the eighteenth century, flaws which have come to light in the twentieth century. He looks at this pluralist society and the concept of positive neutrality and of religious freedom historically and theoretically and then applies his approach to current issues relating to national policy and Supreme Court decision-making.

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Contents

Church and State in U S Society
1
ChurchState Theory and Practice
17
The Development of ChurchState
83
Copyright

4 other sections not shown

Other editions - View all

Positive Neutrality: Letting Religious Freedom Ring
Stephen V. Monsma
Snippet view - 1995
Positive Neutrality: Letting Religious Freedom Ring
Stephen Monsma
No preview available - 1993

Common terms and phrases

Abington School District Abraham Kuyper agencies Aguillard Amendment American argued associations and faith Awakening basic basis beliefs and practices Catholic Chapter Christian church-state issues church-state relations civil religion compelling state interest concept constitutional cultural defined developed disestablishment dissenting doctrine emphasis Enlightenment establishment clause faith communities favored free exercise clause freedom of religion goal governmental human Ibid individual interpretations Isaac Backus James Madison Jefferson Justice legislative Lemon test Madison ment morality nation nature nineteenth century nonpublic schools nonreligious organizations persons perspectives pietistic pluralist political positive neutrality prayer principle programs Protestant Protestantism public policy public realm public schools quasi-sovereignty recognized religion-in-general religious associations religious beliefs religious faith religious groups religious structures religious traditions religiously rooted role secular purpose secularly based sense separation of church social structures sphere strict separation strict separationist structural pluralism Subsidiarity Supreme Court U.S. society United violated wall of separation wrote

References to this book

About the author (1993)

STEPHEN V. MONSMA, is a Professor of Political Science, at Pepperdine University. He is the author or editor of several studies dealing with religion and politics including Responsible Technology: A Christian Perspective (1986), Pursuing Justice in a Sinful World (1984) and American Politics (1976).

Bibliographic information

TitlePositive Neutrality: Letting Religious Freedom Ring
Issue 69 of Contributions in Legal Studies, ISSN 0147-1074
AuthorStephen Monsma
Editionillustrated
PublisherBloomsbury Academic, 1993
Original fromthe University of Michigan
DigitizedOct 25, 2008
ISBN0313279632, 9780313279638
Length277 pages
Subjects › 

Political Science / Civil Rights
Political Science / General
  
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