The debate over the framers’ concept of freedom of religion has become heated and divisive. This scrupulously researched book sets aside the half-truths; omissions; and partisan arguments; and instead focuses on the actual writings and actions of Washington; Adams; Jefferson; Madison; and others. Legal scholar Michael I. Meyerson investigates how the framers of the Constitution envisioned religious freedom and how they intended it to operate in the new republic. Endowed by Our Creator shows that the framers understood that the American government should not acknowledge religion in a way that favors any particular creed or denomination. Nevertheless; the framers believed that religion could instill virtue and help to unify a diverse nation. They created a spiritual public vocabulary; one that could communicate to all—including agnostics and atheists—that they were valued members of the political community. Through their writings and their decisions; the framers affirmed that respect for religious differences is a fundamental American value. Now it is for us; Meyerson concludes; to determine whether religion will be used to alienate and divide or to inspire and unify our religiously diverse nation.
#1166387 in Books 2007-04-28Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.60 x 6.15l; 1.52 #File Name: 030012256X624 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Fully brings to life the Jones family saga; with parallel narrative of the lives families of slaves in coastal Ga.By Richard L HallClarke successfully brings to life the individuals of interlocking families revealed in the huge volume "Children of Pride;" which collected letters of the Jones family over many decades of the nineteenth century. There are many details of family here; primarily in keeping track of the inter-relations among coastal plantation families and their slaves. But this work is engaging and as fair as any treatment I have seen of the culture and thought patterns of wealthy whites and first-; second-; and third-generation Africans who were enslaved to them. Religion dominated the life of Charles C. Jones; and his calling was to bring Christianity to the slaves; yet he and his sizable network of do-gooders could not see the irony of their attempts at encouraging self-control on slaves whom they thoroughly dominated in every way. Clarke's scholarship is complete; and; best of all; it doesn't get in the way of the story.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Rice plantation evangelismBy Martha M. CaseOur beloved neighbor ... May she be forever blessed ... Lent this amazing book to us . It is a well documented account of the efforts of a family who owned rice plantations south of savannah Georgia to introduce the gospel to the slaves who built and worked on the plantations. The evangelistic and educational efforts were ... Of course ... Illegal under the laws in Georgia at the time. ... The history continues through the end of the civil war ... The characters are real and the midway church still stands on highway 17 ... 40 miles south of savannah ...11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Frighteningly relevant for evangelical Christians of our timeBy K WatsonThis is the most impacting; and disturbing; book I've read in the past year. I found myself identifying strongly with Charles Colcock Jones; an extremely heartfelt evangelical Christian who thought of himself as utterly consecrated in service to God; and who was held in high regard by the evangelical community of the South. Through Clarke's detailed and highly documented narrative; I was able to understand how his understanding of slavery was gradually warped through several factors: 1) compromise with the viewpoints of his peers; 2) cultural difficulties with the slaves; 3) losing sight of the ends by concentrating on the means; and 4) by being a beneficiary of the status quo.It's easy to think of slaveowners as sadistic monsters with no shred of humanity. It's more difficult for people of our time to imagine themselves as slaveowners. Dwelling Place accomplished that for me. Charles Colcock Jones was not the typical slaveowner; but he was one that evangelicals might identify with. More than that; he had a spirituality and a heart of service that many evangelicals might ASPIRE to.Contrary to another reviewer; I did appreciate Clarke's attempts to infer the viewpoint of the slaves; though because of their illiteracy there is infinitely less documentation of their thoughts in the historical record. Perhaps some of his inferences are off-target; but to not make an attempt at representing the slaves' point of view would be to leave out an equally important part of the story; and to artificially silence voices as important to the story as the whites. Many of the African-American characters were developed as multi-dimensional compelling actors in the drama.I also appreciated the number of characters described; both white and black; because they comprise the very intricate and dynamic context which produced Jones's mindset; so analagous to the context which Americans find themselves in our time.
