Secular American Law Summary

317 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Influence of protestant morality on american politics

Although ideal, Jakobsen and Bernstein reveal that a pure secular country is something that will most likely never be achieved in America. Secular American law depends on Christianity, explicitly Protestantism. An interesting concept pointed out by the authors of this study is where exactly the notion of the earliest Americans thinking they had some sort of dominion over the Native American peoples came from. Steve Newcomb, a Shawnee, Lenape scholar and author, recognizes a theme between the early American settlers and the Old Testament. Because in the Old Testament God granted dominion to his followers over the infidel natives and their land. This attitude construed by the Old Testament gives leeway to the thought that American people then

Show More
Related

  • Touchdown Jesus by Robert Laurence Moore

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    Moore investigates the attitudes, behavior, and perception of Americans regarding their respective individual sacred and secular lives. He is interested in the roles of popular culture and religion and in addition, how popular culture affected the shift in boundaries between sacredness and secularism, particularly how these practices shape American religion. We live in a complex society and social structure that is structured with norms and values that they themselves structure the way we interpret and interact with others.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast William Bradford And Jonathan Edwards

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Religion is the backbone of evolution.” Without the cultural differences and belief systems we would not have a regulated religious base. It is evident some religions can be both alike but yet still very different. The historical William Bradford and Jonathan Edwards demonstrate this theory. William Bradford portrays more leniencies while allowing for more religious tolerance within the puritan community. With some contrasting beliefs but familiar goals, Jonathan Edwards, pursued a stricter religious background. Both of these author’s play an important role in sculpting the puritan way of life.

    Read More

  • How Did Religion Influence Religion In Colonial Society

    1262 Words  | 3 Pages

    Religion was a key component to the construction of the early American colonial society. It shaped the beliefs and actions of the settlers within the society in many ways. Originally, the newcomers settling on North American land had main motives of owning their own land, increasing their country’s empire and gaining personal profit. Alongside those motives came the sheer desire to spread their religion with whom they encountered in the new land of opportunity. As stated, settlers set out to convert others towards Christianity because they believed freedom was found in worshiping God. Socially, if a person identified as a Christian they automatically were placed higher on the hierarchy. In the same respect, religion and politics at this time were delicately intertwined. Being Christian also meant the government heavily favored you and your peoples since you were to be considered influential in society. In the Maryland Act Concerning Religion (1644), John Winthrop’s Speech to the Massachusetts General Court (1645), the Trial of Anne Hutchinson (1637) and Roger Williams Letter to the Town of Providence (1655) one can notice the striking role religion plays both socially and

    Read More

  • American Civil War and Religion

    1149 Words  | 3 Pages

    Religion of the protestant church was an important factor in the pre-war timeline culture. The Second great awakening, which occurred in the 19th century, greatly impacted American society. This new point of view in terms and matters of faith led northerners to cherish the theory of Christian perfection, a theory that in fact was applied to society in an attempt to eliminate social imperfection. On the other hand, southerners reacted by cherishing a faith of personal piety, which focused mainly on a reading of the Bible; however, it expressed very little concern in addressing society’s problems.1

    Read More

  • Wise Blood, by Flannery O’Connor

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gaustad, Edwin S. The Religious History of America: The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today. N.p.: HarperOne, 2004. Print.

    Read More

  • How Did Religion Influence Colonial America Today

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    America today has changed tremendously throughout the years not only politically but also religiously. From the first colonists who came to America for religious independence to todays melting pot of different religious and cultural backgrounds. They had to get their differences somewhere, and what better place than America. It all started in colonial America, with the first settlers. Among these colonists there are a few major names and topics that help to shape colonial America into what it is now. These individuals impacted America’s religious development greatly, with their new ideas and foreign advancements in religious prosperity.

    Read More

  • Religion Played an Integral Role in the Development and Culture of European Colonialism in the New World

    1662 Words  | 4 Pages

    Butler, J., Balmer, R., & Wacker, G. (2008). Religion in American Life : A Short History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Read More

  • The Debate with "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance

    1351 Words  | 3 Pages

    As James Madison, the fourth President of the United States said, “The religion of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man, and it is right of every man to exercise it as they may dictate” (Haynes, C...

    Read More

  • The Importance of Christianity in Early American History

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    The history of America actually begins in Europe, during a time of political tyranny and religious persecution, under an oppressive monarchy. Religious persecution began during the reign of King Henry VIII (1509-1547), as the king directed the establishment of a national church, and declared himself the presiding official. Subsequently (1558-1603), King Henry’s daughter, Queen Elisabeth, firmly solidified the “Church of England,” ensuring conformity of religious pursuit to the established doctrines of the Anglican Church. By the early 1600s, as the Bible became widely available to the average citizen, a public outcry demanded religious reform, and a return to less structured forms of worship. A group, labeled “Separatists,” believed the Church of England was beyond reform, and aimed to establish new congregations, basing worship, and church organization, on Biblical doc...

    Read More

  • Native American Spiritual Beliefs

    2347 Words  | 5 Pages

    Over the history of our country Native Americas have long since been oppressed in trying to practice their Native Religions freely, and openly. It wasn’t until the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) of 1978, which “acknowledged the unique nature of Native spirituality” (Limb & Hodge, 2008, p. 618). This law stated that the policy of the United States would be to protect and preserve the right of Native Americans to believe and practice their traditional religions. This was the first major step in the United States history that sought to protect Native Americans and their rights to self-expression of spirituality.

    Read More

  • Immigrants and The American Dream

    2129 Words  | 5 Pages

    Thomas, Oliver "Buzz". "How To Keep The 'United' In United States: Coping With Religious Diversity In The World's First 'New' Nation." Church & State Feb. 2007: 19+. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2013.

    Read More

  • An Indian Democracy

    3617 Words  | 8 Pages

    Donald Grinde is the author of The Iroquois and the Founding of the American Nation, one of the earliest books to argue for an Indian influence on the formation of the American democracy. Since Grinde’s publication and Bruce Johansen’s a year later, there has been a great deal of debate over this issue. Many of the most prominent opponents of the influence thesis have failed to distinguish between the arguments of more extreme authors, such as Gregory Schaaf, who claim that the Iroquois Gayanashagowa was copied by the U.S. Constitution, and those with a more moderate stance, like Johansen and Grinde, who simply point to a clear influence (Johansen, 1998). This paper intends to argue along the lines of these latter authors. Our founding fathers did not copy the Gayanashagowa or Great Law of Peace, but our Constitution was written with reflection upon the Iroquoian government with the goal of synthesizing this model into a form that could satisfy the needs of the American people. Given the evidence presented by Grinde and Johansen, it is clear that Native Americans influenced early U. S. political minds—if not directly, then at least indirectly.

    Read More

  • The Problem With Excessive Religious Freedom

    1581 Words  | 4 Pages

    Caplan, Arthur. "Government Should Override Personal Belief." Bach, Julie S., ed. Religion in America: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. 1989.

    Read More

  • Law In Society

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    Law is a tool in society as it helps to maintain social control, promoting social justice. The way law functions in society and its social institution provide a mechanism for solutions. There are many different theories of the function of law in relation to society in considering the insight they bring to different socio-legal and criminological problems. In the discussion of law’s role in social theory, Leon Petrażycki and Eugen Ehrlich share similar beliefs in the jurisprudence of society. They focused their work on the experience of individuals in establishing meaning in their legal relations with others based on the question of what it means to be a participant in law. Jürgen Habermas presents a relationship between law and morality. From a certain standpoint, law is a key steering mechanism in society as it plays an educational role in promoting conducts, a mean of communication and it

    Read More

  • The Civil Law and The Religious Law

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the world the legal system are based on one of three basic systems. There is Western law which is divided into civil law and common law. Then there is Religious law. Each country has its own unique legal system that they include variations of civil, common and religious law. Some have a combination of all three.

    Read More

More about Secular American Law Summary

Open Document