American Heretics

Religious Adversaries of Liberal Order

Jerome E. Copulsky

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English

Yale University
03 February 2025

History; History of the Americas; Religion & politics; History of religion; Christianity; Political ideologies

A penetrating account of the religious critics of American liberalism, pluralism, and democracy—from the Revolution until today

""A chilling consideration of persistent mutations of American thought still threatening our pluralist democracy.""—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The conversation about the proper role of religion in American public life often revolves around what kind of polity the Founders of the United States envisioned. Advocates of a ""Christian America"" claim that the Framers intended a nation whose political values and institutions were shaped by Christianity; secularists argue that they designed an enlightened republic where church and state were kept separate. Both sides appeal to the Founding to justify their beliefs about the kind of nation the United States was meant to be or should become.

In this book, Jerome E. Copulsky complicates this ongoing public argument by examining a collection of thinkers who, on religious grounds, considered the nation's political ideas illegitimate, its institutions flawed, and its church‑state arrangement defective. Beholden to visions of cosmic order and social hierarchy, rejecting the increasing pluralism and secularism of American society, they predicted the collapse of an unrighteous nation and the emergence of a new Christian commonwealth in its stead. By engaging their challenges and interpreting their visions we can better appreciate the perennial temptations of religious illiberalism—as well as the virtues and fragilities of America's liberal democracy.

By: Jerome E. Copulsky
Imprint: Yale University
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9780300241303
ISBN 10: 0300241305
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 03 February 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Jerome E. Copulsky is a research fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Reviews for American Heretics: Religious Adversaries of Liberal Order

“American Heretics is a history of the Christian far right, of those who believe that the U.S. Constitution was diabolically inspired and that American democracy is a betrayal of America’s destiny.”—Philip Gorski, Yale University