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BestsellerE-book
Author Green, Steven K. (Steven Keith), 1955- author.

Title Inventing a Christian America : the myth of the religious founding / Steven K. Green.

Publication Info. New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2015.

Item Status

Description 1 online resource (xi, 295 pages)
Physical Medium polychrome
Description text file
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents Introduction: The Christian Nation Debate, Methodological Fallacies, and the Role of Myths -- A Haven for Religious Freedom -- A Model for Christian and Civil Government -- The Revolutionary and Constitutional Impulse -- A Government of Men -- The Birth of a Myth -- Conclusion.
Summary "Among the most enduring themes in American history is the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. A pervasive narrative in everything from school textbooks to political commentary, it is central to the way in which many Americans perceive the historical legacy of their nation. Yet, as Steven K. Green shows in this illuminating new book, it is little more than a myth. In Inventing a Christian America, Green, a leading historian of religion and politics, explores the historical record that is purported to support the popular belief in America's religious founding and status as a Christian nation. He demonstrates that, like all myths, these claims are based on historical 'facts' that have been colored by the interpretive narratives that have been imposed upon them. In tracing the evolution of these claims and the evidence levied in support of them from the founding of the New England colonies, through the American Revolution, and to the present day, he investigates how they became leading narratives in the country's collective identity. Three critical moments in American history shaped and continue to drive the myth of a Christian America: the Puritan founding of New England, the American Revolution and the forging of a new nation, and the early years of the nineteenth century, when a second generation of Americans sought to redefine and reconcile the memory of the founding to match their religious and patriotic aspirations. Seeking to shed light not only on the veracity of these ideas but on the reasons they endure, Green ultimately shows that the notion of America's religious founding is a myth not merely in the colloquial sense, but also in a deeper sense, as a shared story that gives deeper meaning to our collective national identity. Offering a fresh look at one of the most common and contested claims in American history, Inventing a Christian America is an enlightening read for anyone interested in the story of--and the debate over--America's founding"-- Provided by publisher.
Access Use copy Restrictions unspecified MiAaHDL
Reproduction Electronic reproduction. [Place of publication not identified] : HathiTrust Digital Library, 2011. MiAaHDL
System Details Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL
Processing Action digitized 2011 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve MiAaHDL
Local Note eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - North America
Language English.
Subject Umschulungswerkstätten für Siedler und Auswanderer Bitterfeld.
Freedom of religion -- United States -- History.
Freedom of religion.
United States.
History.
Christianity and politics -- United States -- History.
Christianity and politics.
Founding Fathers of the United States -- Religious life.
Founding Fathers of the United States.
Religious life.
Church and state -- United States -- History.
Church and state.
National characteristics, American -- History.
National characteristics, American.
Collective memory -- United States -- History.
Collective memory.
United States -- Church history.
Church history.
United States -- History -- Errors, inventions, etc.
New England -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783.
American Revolution (United States : 1775-1783)
Chronological Term 1600-1775
Genre/Form Electronic books.
Church history.
History.
Other Form: Print version: Green, Steven K. (Steven Keith), 1955- Inventing a Christian America. New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2015] 9780190230975 (DLC) 2014035665 (OCoLC)893455413
ISBN 9780190230982 (electronic book)
0190230983 (electronic book)
9780190231002 (electronic book)
0190231009 (electronic book)
9780190230975
0190230975 (hardback)
0190675225
9780190675226