Unit 2: Is American Religious Freedom a Myth?
by admin - September 17th, 2012
In this unit, we’re using David Sehat’s ambitious and provocative new book to talk about the concepts of religious freedom and pluralism in American history. We’ll read the entire book over the course of this unit and get to know its argument well. This is not a “textbook” in the conventional sense, so you shouldn’t read it only for historical content but also for scholarly argument and interpretation.
For Wed 9/19 – read the introduction (pp. 1-10) and Mark Douglas McGarvie’s review of Sehat’s book, published in the October 2011 issue of the American Historical Review. (Both of these are also posted on Blackboard in the Unit 2 section). Write a response paper (2-3 typed double-spaced pages, due in class) addressing one or more of these discussion questions, and be prepared to discuss them on Wed (bring the book with you to class, obviously).
How does Sehat define American religious freedom as a “threefold myth”?
With whom (or what) is Sehat arguing? In other words, why does he claim this book matters?
Describe the dominant narrative of American religious liberty. How does Sehat propose to dismantle this stubbornly persistent, and in fact rather important, set of claims about the past?
What purpose do these myths serve, according to Sehat? Do you agree or not? Based on what evidence?
Characterize McGarvie’s response to this book. How does he see it fitting into other recent scholarship on religion and law?
What are your initial responses to these readings? Where do you hope this book goes, or what are your guesses about what is (or should be) in it?
