In this timely, carefully reasoned social history of the United States, the New York Times bestselling author of Religious Literacy and God Is Not One places today's heated culture wars within the context of a centuries-long struggle of right versus left and religious versus secular to reveal how, ultimately, liberals always win. Though they may seem to be dividing the country irreparably, today's heated cultural and political battles between right and left, Progressives and Tea Party, religious and secular are far from unprecedented. In this engaging and important work, Stephen Prothero reframes the current debate, viewing it as the latest in a number of flashpoints that have shaped our national identity. Prothero takes us on a lively tour through time, bringing into focus the election of 1800, which pitted Calvinists and Federalists against Jeffersonians and "infidels;" the Protestants' campaign against Catholics in the mid-nineteenth century; the anti-Mormon crusade of the Victorian era; the fundamentalist-modernist debates of the 1920s; the culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s; and the current crusade against Islam. As Prothero makes clear, our culture wars have always been religious wars, progressing through the same stages of conservative reaction to liberal victory that eventually benefit all Americans. Drawing on his impressive depth of knowledge and detailed research, he explains how competing religious beliefs have continually molded our political, economic, and sociological discourse and reveals how the conflicts which separate us today, like those that came before, are actually the byproduct of our struggle to come to terms with inclusiveness and ideals of "Americanness." To explore these battles, he reminds us, is to look into the soul of America-and perhaps find essential answers to the questions that beset us.

Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars (Even When They Lose Elections) - A History of the Religious Battles That Define America from Jefferson's Heresies to Gay Marriage Today

Bestselling author Stephen Prothero addresses the question of "Whose America is this, " by exploring American political discourse and the significant texts that make up the living history of the American people. American politics is broken because we have forgotten how to talk with one another. Instead of arguing on behalf of of our nation, we argue on behalf of our party. The American Bible: How Our Words Unite, Divide, and Define a Nation reacquaints us with the oft-quoted (and misquoted) speeches, songs, and sayings that animate our politics, inspire social action, and drive our debates about who is-and is not-a real American. It reconnects us with a surprising tradition of civility that manages to be both critical of Americans shortcomings and hopeful for positive change. To explore these "scriptures, " is to revisit what Americans have said about liberty and equality and to revitalize our ongoing conversation about the future of the American experiment.

The American Bible-Whose America Is This? - How Our Words Unite, Divide, and Define a Nation

The United States is one of the most religious places on earth, but it is also a nation of shocking religious illiteracy. Only 10 percent of American teenagers can name all five major world religions and 15 percent cannot name any. Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the Bible holds the answers to all or most of life's basic questions, yet only half of American adults can name even one of the four gospels and most Americans cannot name the first book of the Bible. Despite this lack of basic knowledge, politicians and pundits continue to root public policy arguments in religious rhetoric whose meanings are missed-or misinterpreted-by the vast majority of Americans."We have a major civic problem on our hands, " says religion scholar Stephen Prothero. He makes the provocative case that to remedy this problem, we should return to teaching religion in the public schools. Alongside "reading, writing, and arithmetic, " religion ought to become the "Fourth R" of American education. Many believe that America's descent into religious illiteracy was the doing of activist judges and secularists hell-bent on banishing religion from the public square. Prothero reveals that this is a profound misunderstanding. "In one of the great ironies of American religious history, " Prothero writes, "it was the nation's most fervent people of faith who steered us down the road to religious illiteracy. Just how that happened is one of the stories this book has to tell."Prothero avoids the trap of religious relativism by addressing both the core tenets of the world's major religions and the real differences among them. Complete with a dictionary of the key beliefs, characters, and stories of Christianity, Islam, and other religions, Religious Literacy reveals what every American needs to know in order to confront the domestic and foreign challenges facing this country today.

Religious Literacy - What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't

In this inspiring manifesto, the New York Times bestselling author of Religious Literacy and God Is Not One calls us to embrace an ancient practice at the heart of many religions and cultures-wandering-to help us reconnect with our own souls and find renewed meaning in our lives. The overwhelming focus on increased efficiency and incessant drive in today's globalized world may benefit corporate bottom lines, but it is having an adverse impact on everyday lives. Navigating our way in a world defined by constant stimulation and the demand to always be moving forward has left us feeling unmoored, unsettled, and strangely uncomfortable in our own skin. Stephen Prothero, too, has felt the anxiety, strain, and alienation caused by modern life. Enduring a divorce and a sudden move, the scholar and writer embarked on an experiment that would prove transformative and deeply satisfying. Instead of adhering to a rigid schedule, he allowed himself to embrace a time-honored spiritual practice that values exploration and intrepidness: wandering. Prothero made time to wander, both physically, through travel, and intellectually, through reading and study. Get Lost is an exploration of the social, psychological, and spiritual virtues of this ancient tradition and how it has been exercised and cherished throughout history-yet is devalued by contemporary culture's obsession with constant productivity and success. By pointing to models and stories of those who wander, from the Buddha to Jack Kerouac to the biblical Hagar to Mary Oliver, Prothero provides "an antidote to what ails our purpose-driven society." He calls for the "practice of unsettling yourself" as a necessary first step in the journey to discover who we are and understand the true meaning of being home.

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