American Covenant: A History of Civil Religion from the Puritans to the Present

Description

An authoritative account of the long battle between exclusionary and inclusive versions of the American story Was the United States founded as a Christian nation or a secular democracy? Neither, argues Philip Gorski in American Covenant. What the founders actually envisioned was a prophetic republic that would weave together the ethical vision of

Philip Gorski is professor of sociology and religious studies at Yale University. His books include The Protestant Ethic Revisited and The Disciplinary Revolution: Calvinism and the Rise of the State in Early Modern Europe.

"[E]ssential reading for this moment."--David Brooks, New York Times "[A] sweeping and exhilarating review of the history of American political culture... More academics should follow [Gorski's] example of contributing to public debate in an accessible way."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "[American Covenant] charts one way to political reconciliation in these divisive times... [T]his is an important work, one that returns us to our national origins, examines the evidence about our founding--and our founders--concerning religion and its interactions with public policy."--Kirkus "A rich, detailed account of the history of efforts to define American religion."--Sarah Posner, American Prospect