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The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion Paperback – September 1, 1994

by Stephen L. Carter (Author)

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The Culture Of Disbelief has been the subject of an enormous amount of media attention from the first moment it was published. Hugely successful in hardcover, the Anchor paperback is sure to find a large audience as the ever-increasing, enduring debate about the relationship of church and state in America continues. In The Culture Of Disbelief, Stephen Carter explains how we can preserve the vital separation of church and state while embracing rather than trivializing the faith of millions of citizens or treating religious believers with disdain. What makes Carter's work so intriguing is that he uses liberal means to arrive at what are often considered conservative ends. Explaining how preserving a special role for religious communities can strengthen our democracy, The Culture Of Disbelief recovers the long tradition of liberal religious witness (for example, the antislavery, antisegregation, and Vietnam-era antiwar movements). Carter argues that the problem with the 1992 Republican convention was not the fact of open religious advocacy, but the political positions being advocated.

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Editorial Reviews

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The author of Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby examines the role of religion in American society.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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"Rational argument rarely seems as warm, as human, as it does in this book...Carter leads the reader to contemplate the embattled constitutional wall between the state and religion, and he does so without furor, without dogma, with only the qualities he envisions in the ideal public square: moderation, restraint, respect." -- The New Yorker.

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Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: Anchor Books; Reprint edition (September 1, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780385474986
ISBN-13: 978-0385474986
ASIN: 0385474989
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 16 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #164 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Agnosticism
- #433 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Atheism
- #978 in Books > History > World > Religious > Religion, Politics & State

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zee1

An excellent read from cover to cover.

September 22, 1999

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

While not possessing the wonderful immediacy of his masterpiece, "Civility", Dr. Carter's "The Culture of Disbelief" very artfully highlights an often latent national sentiment. Characteristically referenced meticulously, Carter cites specific instances, modern and historical, of the trivialization of religiousness to support virtually every statement he makes. At the same time, he maintains an easy and accessible style that transitions smoothly from the casual to the sobering. Carter attempts to inject an urgent tone at some points, and while reading one may find oneself nodding along in agreement, but the galvanic effect of "Civility" was not present. Nonetheless, an excellent read from cover to cover.

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Good Enough, but a Bit Muddled!

May 27, 2004

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Stephen Carter's thesis is quite a noble one: he thinks that we as a society have taken religious freedom and morphed it into something of an anti-religion bias. The public square, for instance, seems to give less and less credence to arguments or ideas informed by religion. Pro-lifers or those opposed to gay marriage are written off as 'fanatics' or simply holders of weak, because religiously informed, positions. The establishment and free-exercise clause (which Carter DOES see as a wall of seperation between church and state) has increasinly been used to banish religion from the public square entirely.
This is all quite unique for me because I am an non-believer, probably unlike many reviewers here. Even as a non-believer (polite term for atheist) I can see the trivialization of religion in our culture and particularly in the political arena. As we speak, George W. Bush is being dismissed as a 'fundamentalist' because he, like most americans (according to current surveys) opposes gay marriage. Apperently opposing gay marriage ipso facto makes one a fundamentalist which ipso facto marginalizes the whole opinion.
Here's the problem: the three stars I've given this book are for the thesis and the very good research (especially in part 1, where the problem is surveyed). The other two stars that I did NOT give the book were for execution. Each chapter seems to be on a wholly new topic (a seperate essay unto itself) and Carter does little to hold them together. The first section diagnoses the problem, the second section discusses the 1st amendment religion clauses (and as a law scholar, Carter gives a VERY surface level account) and the third section (apperently) works at a solution (which I was still waiting for when I closed the book for the final time). In brief, the research was good and Carter brings up many good points; they are just packaged in a quite random, meandering, book.
The only other problem to speak of is that on the one hand, Carter chastises current politics (liberal politics) for discounting religious faith; on the other he chastises religious faith for often being too dogmatic and zeolous. BUT THAT IS WHAT RELIGIONS DO!
Not all, to be sure, but most any catholic sect, for instance, takes stands, believes sincerely in them, and is convinced that their take is the only right one. Quite simply, most religions firmly beleive that their way is right and others are wrong - that they have access to the 'truth as revealed through god' where the rest are mistaken. To suggest that religion can still be religion while saying, "But I may be completely wrong about divine revelation or commandment," seems to take the religion out of religion. Thus, I (and Stanley Fish has wisely said just this about Carter) think Carter is trying to let faith back into liberalism by telling religion to be more secular. (Be open minded about gay marriage; you might be wrong, after all, Mr. Robertson!). [Read the section on religion in Stanley Fish's "The Trouble With Principle" for these critiques.]
To conclude, the issue is one that needs to be addressed and Dr. Carter has produced a well-researched attempt to highlight what is wrong. Sadley, I did not come away from this book with a feeling that its direction and layout were strong, or that Dr. Carter's solutions were workable.

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A thoughtful and thought provoking argument

June 1, 2010

Format: Paperback

I do want to emphasize that my five star rating does not mean I am in 100% agreement with the author. I doubt that any thoughtful reader will be in total agreement. However, as a book that presents a well thought out and well constructed argument that challenges the reader, this is top drawer.It does require thoughtful reading. Since most will find some points of disagreement, it is easy to be thrown of course and miss what Carter is truly saying. He speaks both from knowledge of constitutional law and from a belief in justice for religious and non-religious equally. He repeatedly illustrates that while a person should be allowed to practice the dictates of his religion, that religion can not be allowed control over non-believers. There will be disagreement as to the extent that a person is allowed to obey the laws of his religion. I have not disagreement with the argument that Native Americans should be allowed to use peyote in their worship, that Mormons should be allowed to practice polygamy, and some other issues. I do have trouble with the idea of allowing animal sacrifice. But my disagreement and any reader's individual disagreement doesn't lessen the value of being presented with an argument which causes the reader to think and to consider his or her own evaluation of the author's premise.

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