PS 305
First Congressional Prayer (Stainglass piece at Christ's Church in Philadelphia)
Religion
and Politics
PS 305
First Congressional Prayer (Stainglass piece at Christ's Church
in Philadelphia)
Part I Notes (All notes here are fair game for the Midterm Exam)
Study Topic Guide:
Religion and Politics
Midterm Exam Topic Guide
LECTURE NOTES for the MIDTERM EXAM:
Intrductory material and Religious Arguments in Public Debate; IF THAT FILE DOES NOT WORK, TRY THIS ONE
Witte Chs 1-2 (Church-State History from early church to the American founding; REVISED NOTES WITH YOUTH/EMERGING ADULTS
NEW Lecture Notes: The New Christian Right
New Notes: Religious Left and Center
Roman Catholics, Black Protestants and Latinos
Jews, Mormons, Muslims, Seculars
Wall Street Journal Article on "Wannebe Cool" Christianity:
POST-MIDTERM LECTURE NOTES:
Free Exercise and Establishment Clause Notes from Witte
Religion and Public Life: DISCUSSION DAY: Religion in Public Life (Read Wolterstorff and Rorty Article). Write a 2 page single-spaced summary of this article.
Abortion: FOR OUR DISCUSSION DAY
Instruction: Write a 1-2 page single-spaced (12 point font) essay, citing your sources using footnotes, drawing upon and interacting with the following two sources (Geisler; Radcliffe-Richads; (PLUS TWO articles that YOU look up using the following think-tank sources (find two articles using their imbedded search engines, one on either side of the issue preferably):
Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity
National Organization for Women
NARAL: Pro-Choice America
The Heritage Foundation
Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
Human Rights FOR OUR DISCUSSION DAY
Instructions: Write a 1-2 page single-spaced essay drawing and interacting with the following sources (some required, two you may select)
What best guides our moral judgments about human life, rights, justice, and dignity?
Required Sources: Peter Singer articles: Animals and Humans and Godless Morality; Audio Lecture: "Human Dignity: Comparing Worldviews" from Dr. Barrs)
Others Sources (use two):
Secular Humanism
Mohler
Frame-Kurtz
Debate
J.
Budziszewsk (Natural Law Perspective);
Cline
Feser
Supreme Court Cases FOR DISCUSSION DAY
ROSENBERGER VS UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Summary; Oral argument
LOCKE VS DAVEY: TWO LINKS FOR CASE DISCUSSION #1 Majority; Dissent
Article Links:
Stout, Harry (Who were the Puritans?)
Hall,
David
Wolterstorff, Nicholas
Pew Forum on Just War
Bolce
Resources:
Religion
and Politics (Primary source documents from Reformational Europe and Pre-Revolutionary
America)
Theopedia: online encyclopedia/dictionary
of theological terms and topics
Think-Tank page
If you are interested, the Mormon Documentary on PBS
Interview with John Witte, Jr. (author of our textbook). Excellent interview in which Witte summarizes in 16 minutes many of the topics/concepts in our lecture notes (and his book). Everything from origins of church/state separation, dualism, disestablishment, etc.
Quotes from key political figures in American history on religion and politics:
Religion in America, takes no direct part in the government of
society, but it must be regarded as the first of their political institutions…I
do not know whether all Americans have a sincere faith in their religion –
for who can search the human heart? -- but I am certain that they hold it to
be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions. This opinion
is not peculiar to a class of citizens or to a party, but it belongs to the
whole nation and to every rank of society - Alexis de Tocqueville
And I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has
done, in shewing that religion & Govt will both exist in greater purity,
the less they are mixed together. – James Madison
But, were you to succeed, do you imagine any good would be done by it? You yourself may find it easy to live a virtuous life, without the assistance afforded by religion; you having a clear perception of the advantages of virtue, and the disadvantages of vice, and possessing a strength of resolution sufficient to enable you to resist common temptations. But think how great a portion of mankind consists of weak and ignorant men and women, and of inexperienced, inconsiderate youth of both sexes, who have need of the motives of religion to restrain them from vice, to support their virtue, and retain them in the practice of it till it becomes habitual, which is the great point for its security. And perhaps you are indebted to her originally, that is, to your religious education, for the habits of virtue upon which you now justly value yourself. – Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Paine, explaining why he believes Paine should not push for the public neglect of a Providential God in society.
Let divines and philosophers, statesmen and patriots, unite their endeavors to renovate the age, by impressing the minds of men with the importance of educating their little boys and girls, of inculcating in the minds of youth the fear and love of the Deity and universal philanthropy, and, in subordination to these great principles, the love of their country; of instructing them in the art of self-government without which they never can act a wise part in the government of societies, great or small; in short, of leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system. – Samuel Adams to John Adams, 1790.
Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. It is to be regretted, but so I believe the fact to be, that except the Bible there is not a true history in the world. Whatever may be the virtue, discernment, and industry of the writers, I am persuaded that truth and error (though in different degrees) will imperceptibly become and remain mixed and blended until they shall be separated forever by the great and last refining fire. – John Jay, 1797.
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens.… And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.… Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. – George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796.
“Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble purpose.” – James Madison
“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.” – Patrick Henry
The practice of morality being necessary for the well-being of society, [our Creator] has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. – Patrick Henry
He is the best friend to American liberty, who is most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion, and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down profanity and immorality of every kind. Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to call him an enemy of his country.… - John Witherspoon
"All natural institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit." – Thomas Paine
"The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the
Christian religion." – John Adams