God and Country: America in Red and Blue [Paperback]

Sheila Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2007 | ISBN-10: 1932792996 | ISBN-13: 978-1932792997

Americans increasingly think in terms of red and blue. God and Country examines the religious roots of these cultural divisions in American political life. But instead of pitting a people of faith against a secular humanist elite, God and Country helps Americans understand the religious differences that divide, appreciate the public agreements that allow us to live with religious differences, evaluate how existing democratic processes alleviate divisions, and identify ways Americans can agree to disagree.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is a fascinating and fair-minded exploration of what divides us in America. It also is a source of principled and practical suggestions for helping us bridge those divides. Kennedy doesn't make the mistake of seeking some mushy middle or urging one side in the culture wars to abandon its deeply held beliefs. Instead, her suggestions are aimed at creating an environment where we discuss and debate our differences in ways that are more informed, honest, and charitable. --Melissa Rogers, Visiting Professor of Religion and Public Policy at Wake Forest University Divinity School

This book is a careful examination of the divisions that affect political discourse in the US today... Recommended. --CHOICE

God and Country addresses the culture wars divisions in American society and attempts to lead us to a new formulation for civil discourse. Kennedy deftly unravels the competing ideologies that keep us talking past one another rather than engage in meaningful conversation. Her search for a core set of American norms places this book in the tradition of Jeffrey Stout's Democracy and Tradition, a significant cut above most of the competing literature. --Randall Balmer, Professor of American Religious History

God and Country addresses the culture wars divisions in American society and attempts to lead us to a new formulation for civil discourse. Kennedy deftly unravels the competing ideologies that keep us talking past one another rather than engage in meaningful conversation. Her search for a core set of American norms places this book in the tradition of Jeffrey Stout s Democracy and Tradition, a significant cut above most of the competing literature. --Randall Balmer, Professor of American Religious History

About the Author

Sheila Kennedy (J.D. Indiana University School of Law) is Associate Professor of Law and Public Policy at the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Baylor University Press (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932792996
• ISBN-13: 978-1932792997
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,551,823 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am currently a Professor of Law and Public Policy at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, where I am a member of IUPUI's Philanthropic Studies faculty, a Faculty Fellow with both the Center for Religion and American Culture and the Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence, and an adjunct professor of political science. (All of which sounds more impressive than it is.)

I hold a B.S. from Indiana University, and earned my J.D. from I.U. in 1975. My (checkered!) career includes the practice of real estate, administrative and business law in Indianapolis, my home town, a stint as Corporation Counsel for the City of Indianapolis (from 1977-1980) and, in 1980, a run for Congress as a Republican. I lost.

I was president of Kennedy Development Services, a real-estate development firm, from 1987-1992, when I became Executive Director of the Indiana ACLU. I joined the faculty of the School of Public and Environmental affairs in 1998.

I've written six books, all of which are available through Amazon: What's a Nice Republican Girl Like Me Doing at the ACLU?(Prometheus Books); Free Expression in America: A Documentary History (Greenwood Publishing); Pickin' Fights With Thunderstorms: A Love Story (Kern) ; Charitable Choice at Work: Faith-Based Jobs Programs in the States (with Wolfgang Bielefield)(Georgetown University Press), God and Country: America in Red and Blue (Baylor University Press); and Distrust, American Style: Diversity and the Crisis of Public Confidence (Prometheus Books). I also was co-editor of To Market, To Market: Reinventing Indianapolis, an analysis of Indianapolis' privatization experience under former Mayor Stephen Goldsmith (University Press of America).

In addition to these books and my articles in scholarly journals and law reviews, etc., for the past twelve years I have written a regular column for the Indianapolis Star and been a frequent contributor to other blogs and periodicals.

My husband Bob is an architect, and we have five children and four (gorgeous, brilliant, exceptional) grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impartial and Focused, July 10, 2007

By 

Ronald S. Timmons (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God and Country: America in Red and Blue (Paperback)

This book deserves to be on the bookshelves of everyone calling themselves politically educated. Kennedy examines the role of religion in the shaping of American politics and its effects upon the public discussion thereof with much more light than heat. It is not a polemic. It is the voice of reason in a land of shouters. It offers a solution for people of varied beliefs and backgrounds on how to get along with each other despite our differences. She offers specific methods of reaching a rational political consensus in our multicultural society. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book, July 28, 2007

By 

Eileen S. Prince (Indianapolis, In) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God and Country: America in Red and Blue (Paperback)

I found this book to be very balanced and extremely informative. A fascinating look at America's so-called "culture wars." A must read for anyone, on either side, who wonders "what's wrong with you people?!"