The Rhetoric of Religious Freedom in the United States

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Though much has already been written on religious freedom in the United States, these treatments have come mostly from historians, legal scholars, and advocates, with relatively little attention from rhetorical critics. In The Rhetoric of Religious Freedom in the United States, fifteen scholars from this field address the variety of forms that free, public religiosity may assume, and which rhetorical techniques are operative in a public square populated by a diversity of religious-political actors. Together they consider the arguments, evidences, and strategies defining what religious freedom means and who is entitled to claim it in the contemporary United States.

Reviews

Miller has collected a number of diverse and useful rhetorical studies to demonstrate the importance of religious freedom in the contemporary public imaginary and its representative discourse. It is a welcome addition to and unique representation of rhetorical scholarship. -- Steven Goldzwig, Marquette University
Freedom of religion remains a contentious issue in American public culture. Across 12 timely chapters, The Rhetoric of Religious Freedom in the United States illustrates the myriad of ways in which the concept of religious freedom becomes negotiated in political, legal, and social spheres. By addressing the issue through a rhetorical framework, this collection contributes an important perspective to ongoing controversies and speaks to the complex negotiation of American values. -- Leslie J. Harris, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The Rhetoric of Religious Freedom in the United Statesis a timely collection of essays that together highlight the diversity of ways that religious traditions and political actors speak about religious freedom. The volume should be of interest to a wide variety of audiences, including both qualitatively and quantitatively minded scholars. In a scholarly world in which the deluge of research makes it all too easy to only pay attention to ones own field, this collection of essays by Communication and Rhetoric scholars serves as a reminder of the importance and benefits of engaging scholarship from other disciplines. * Politics and Religion *

Author Bio

Eric C. Miller is assistant professor of communication studies at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.