Originally published: Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, c1990, in series: Cambridge studies in religion and American public life. With new introd.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-213) and index.
Contents
Chapters: The creation of religious liberty in early Pennsylvania -- Pacifism and religious liberty -- The clergy and religious liberty -- Religious liberty in the revolution -- Religious liberty and the Republic -- Politicians debate religious liberty -- The churches and religious liberty -- The legal implications of religious liberty -- Religious liberty and the Catholic and Jewish minorities.
Summary
Using a wide variety of sources-legal documents, church records, sermons, political tracts, diaries, newspapers, and government records-this book traces Pennsylvania's distinctive religious and political development, how it has influenced the nation and how, in turn, the nation has impacted upon it. The book covers the ongoing discussions about pacifism, rights for Jews and blacks, prayer in public schools, Sunday legislation, and other religious topics from William Penn's time through to World War II. It demonstrates how Pennsylvania developed a tradition of actively promoting religion that, after World War II, resulted in U.S. Supreme Court rulings that cited the state for violations of First Amendment rights. [from the publisher]
