American Covenant: A History of Civil Religion from the Puritans to the Present

(Hardback)

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An authoritative account of the long battle between exclusionary and inclusive versions of the American story Was the United States founded as a Christian nation or a secular democracy Neither, argues Philip Gorski in American Covenant. What the founders actually envisioned was a prophetic republic that would weave together the ethical vision of

Reviews

"[E]ssential reading for this moment."--David Brooks, New York Times "[A] sweeping and exhilarating review of the history of American political culture... More academics should follow [Gorski's] example of contributing to public debate in an accessible way."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "[American Covenant] charts one way to political reconciliation in these divisive times... [T]his is an important work, one that returns us to our national origins, examines the evidence about our founding--and our founders--concerning religion and its interactions with public policy."--Kirkus "A rich, detailed account of the history of efforts to define American religion."--Sarah Posner, American Prospect

Author Bio

Philip Gorski is professor of sociology and religious studies at Yale University. His books include The Protestant Ethic Revisited and The Disciplinary Revolution: Calvinism and the Rise of the State in Early Modern Europe.