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Sacred Rights of Conscience, The: Selected Readings on Religious Liberty and Church-State Relations in the American Founding

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In reflecting on how the Christian religious right became so powerful in America, the question arises as to the origins of that phenomenon. Certainly the first amendment argues for separation of Church and State, but references to the Creator appear in our most important founding documents. This book reveals the background of the relationship between religion, the church and the political establishment through use of primary sources. The chronological organization of those sources allows the reader to make his own conclusions about the changing perception of that relationship. A short introduction at the beginning of each group of writings gives the editor's perspective on those writings' historical place and the influences that created them. Recommended reading for any student of American history who wishes to explore religion's influence on politics.