Myths America Lives By [Paperback]

Richard T. Hughes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2004

In this book Richard T. Hughes identifies the five key myths that lie at the heart of the American experience - the myths of the Chosen Nation, of Nature's Nation, of the Christian Nation, of the Millennial Nation, and of the Innocent Nation. Drawing on a range of dissenting voices, Hughes shows that by canonizing these seemingly harmless myths of national identity as absolute truths, America risks undermining the sweepingly egalitarian promise of the Declaration of Independence. The Chosen Nation myth led to the wholesale slaughter of indigenous people during the pioneer era. More recently the Innocent Nation myth prevented many Americans from understanding, or even discussing, the complex motivations of the 9/11 terrorists. "Myths America Lives By" demonstrates that Americans must rethink these myths in the spirit of extraordinary humility if the United States is to fulfil its true promise as a nation. Hughes locates the roots of each myth in a different period of America's development, and from each of these periods he finds stirring critiques offered by marginalized commentators - especially African Americans and Native Americans - who question the predominant myth of their age. "Myths America Lives By" is a dialog between the mainstream mythmakers and the many critics - including Martin Luther King Jr., Ida B. Wells, Frederick Douglass, Black Elk, Anna J. Cooper, and Booker T. Washington, Malcom X, Angela Davis, and W. E. B. DuBois - whose dissent, rather than being un-American, was often grounded in a patriotic belief in the "self-evident" equality of America's fundamental creed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hughes is a serious scholar who exposes the frequently shattering consequences of the embodiment of theses myths." Christian Century "This most timely book comes at a point where our American myths may prove more dangerous than salutary in a world which sees our political practice at odds with our civic profession. Hughes has done the nation a great service in making us see ourselves as we are and as others see us. This is one book George Bush and company should read, and fast." Peter J. Gomes, author of The Good Life: Truths That Last in Times of Need "Myths America Lives By is ferociously rational in its moral character. Hughes has written an elegant and compelling book. I am convinced that the reader will come away with a deeper appreciation of the major myths that govern our lives. Richard Hughes is a brilliant, creative, and passionate scholar." Molefi Kete Asante, author of Erasing Racism: The Social Survival of the American Nation

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (June 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252072200
• ISBN-13: 978-0252072208
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Ethics
  • #97 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Government     > Democracy

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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Discussion of American Myths, August 10, 2005

By 

Roger D. Launius "Historian" (Washington, D.C., United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Myths America Lives By (Paperback)

In this scintillating study of the development of the American epic, historian of religion Richard T. Hughes focuses on five major myths--and two lesser spin-off conceptions, manifest destiny and American capitalism--that gained currency with the earliest days of the nation and have grown, in some cases morphed, and in all instances still remain powerful statements of national belief.

Myths, Hughes reminds us, is not so much a fable or falsehood, as it is a story, a kind of poetry, about events and situations that have great significance both for those involved and those that follow. Myths are, in fact, essential truths for the members of a cultural group who hold them, enact them, or perceive them. They are sometimes expressed in diffuse ideologies, but in literate societies like the United States they are also embedded in historical stories about our past.

First, Hughes explores the myth of the United States as a chosen nation. It is no secret that the Puritan immigrants to America from England viewed themselves as God's elect favored above all others. It is less well known that a sense of "chosen-ness" motivated others who came to America and this sense of exceptionalism has found expression throughout the nation's history. The United States is a new "land of Canaan," to use a religious conception, but this sense need not be solely expressed in religious tones. While Hughes focuses on religious conceptions, he notes that America as a land of opportunity where all may achieve their proper rewards through diligence and hard work is a part of this belief as well.

Central to this sense of "chosen-ness" is the idea of a national covenant in which the inhabitants live justly and are rewarded as a result. At it's best, this myth calls on Americans to shoulder responsibilities that reflect what Hughes calls our national creed: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Sometimes, perhaps even many times, in our national history, the American civilization has reflected this creed well and in so doing earned the respect and admiration of the world. At other times, and perhaps increasingly as time has passed, Americans have absolutized the myth of the chosen nation and used it to justify the wealth, privilege, and power of the nation as appropriate despite the disparities with other cultures.

The second myth that Hughes discusses is America as Nature's Nation. The result of Enlightenment thinking in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, this myth suggests that the natural order of things is for all humans to be free and have liberty to do as they wish. At its most idealistic this myth affirms the American creed better than any other concept held by inhabitants of the United States. Absolutized, in Hughes' parlance, it "might suggest that whatever foreign policies America might put in place are by definition just and right, regardless of their impact on marginalized people, and that the rectitude of those policies should be self-evident to all the people of the world" (p. 193).

Third, Hughes explores the myth of America as a Christian nation. He affirms that it was the avowed intention of the founders to create a fully secular government without Christian overtones. He expends considerable effort to demonstrate this position, yet over time the myth has become almost de rigueur. This is not an entirely bad development, Hughes believes, for at its best it calls Americans to adhere to Judeo-Christian virtues. At its worst, it could allow Americans to view any policy the nation implemented as somehow righteous and just, fully reflective of Christian teachings.

Fourth, the author considers the myth of a millennial nation. This sense of creating a perfect society, anticipating the return of Christ in glory, has been present in American society from the very first. It also suggests that it is incumbent on those a part of this nation to further justice, equality, and liberty both inside and outside the confines of the United States. In many instances this is a positive set of attributes, as Hughes notes, but it might also be used to justify efforts "to export and impose its cultural and economics values throughout the world, regardless of the impact those policies might have on poor and dispossessed people in other parts of the world" (p. 193).

Finally, the author comments on the myth of the innocent nation. Completely without justification, the United States has come to believe that whatever it does is just and righteous, and that it is locked in a desperate struggle with evil. This may be seen in virtually all periods of American history but it is especially present in the great struggles of the twentieth century. World Wars I and II especially led Americans to believe they were fighting for the survival of all that was good against forces of evil. But it also may be seen in the cold war against the Soviet Union, and in the aftermath of 9/11 in the global war on terrorism. This is an unfortunate development, according to the author. He notes, "the world does not, in fact, divide as neatly between good and evil as the myth of America as the Innocent Nation might suggest. Just how difficult it is for Americans to realize this truth became apparent in the days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as Americans once again divided the world into rigid categories of good and evil, with America standing clearly and unambiguously on the side of the right..." (p. 186).

There is much to praise and little to criticize in this important book. It is highly recommended as a statement of American values, conceived at the birth of the nation and extending to the present. The work also presents critiques of these myths from a variety of perspectives. It offers a useful analysis of how Americans view the world and why they tend to see it as they do.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging look at the "Land of the Free", November 6, 2003

By 

J. C. Bale "Pakk-Mann" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Myths America Lives By (Hardcover)

If there has been an ideal time for a book like this to hit the market, the time is now. "Myths America Lives By" is a very powerful and insightful book that may come as a hard knock to many readers, but is critically important to acknowledge. Dr. Hughes has dug deep into America's history to uproot key events, philosophies, and struggles, to challenge key myths that have become part of the American landscape. To understand today, we must review the past, and this book has done just that. What is refreshing about this book is that it is not the history book that you read in high school with cookie-cutter type descriptions of the highlights of American history. Instead we are given a view from the poor, the oppressed, and the minority viewpoints. A progressive Christian viewpoint is one not often seen in mainstream literature this day in age, and it is nice to see Dr. Hughes representing the view so gracefully. Kudos for a well-written book.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read, October 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Myths America Lives By (Hardcover)

As an American Christian myself, I consider this a must read, especially for all others who also consider themselves both American and Christian. The instinct for many is to combine these two ideologies, having been fed America's absolutized myths over their lifetime. Hughes offers valuable insight into the otherwise difficult separation of the differences between American and Christian ideologies. Non-Christian Americans will appreciate this gem as well. This book has helped shape my worldview, the highest complement I can give.