Godless Constitution: A Moral Defense of the Secular State

by Isaac Kramnick and R. Laurence Moore

Book Overview

The Godless Constitution is a ringing rebuke to the religious right's attempts, fueled by misguided and inaccurate interpretations of American history, to dismantle the wall between church and state erected by the country's founders. The authors, both distinguished scholars, revisit the historical roots of American religious freedom, paying particular attention to such figures as John Locke, Roger Williams, and especially Thomas Jefferson, and examine...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393328376
• ISBN13: 9780393328370
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

excellent intro to the Constitution and religion

This updated edition is an excellent introduction to and summary of Constitution-religion and 'church-state'issues. There are "no footnotes" - by the authors' stated design. "Therefore no sources. Just a matter of opinion . . ." - Not hardly! The authors' work is deeply grounded in primary sources and reputable secondary studies. One seeking depth in these issues will move on to other scholarly secondary sources and to primary sources. But one will want to avoid 'Original Intent' which, in addition to its extravagant footnotes, contains numerous and demonstrable historical confusions, falsehoods, and fallacious inferences.

Simple and Insightful

I picked this up from the library after seeing it referenced by Damon Linker in "The Theocons". This book is short and sweet. The authors are clear, balanced, and their research is insightful. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the context in which the founders formally placed a dividing line between matters of state and matters of faith.

Great book, but not quite as good as...

...Why the Religious Right is Wrong About the Separation of Church and State, by Rob Boston. That book will arm you with more weapons to fight against right-wing religious extremists, who have tried to rewrite U.S. history and mislead people about religious liberty.

The Answer For All Those Who Would Rewrite History

"The founding fathers established the Constitution, and over 94 percent of it is directly from the Bible." Those are the words of Lee Behnken, an active promoter of PSCA, an organization dedicated to putting chaplains in our public schools. Evangelicals like Behnken often make such statements, and in doing so show their abysmal knowledge of the Constitution and those who developed it. There actually is no mention of God in the Constitution, and the only reference it makes to religion is in article 6 where it states that there shall be no religious test for political office. A current tragedy is that religious conservatives have, indeed, established informal religious tests of office through their "voting guides".In developing the constitution men like Jefferson, Monroe, and Madison were strongly influenced by the Enlightenment philosopher John Locke who believed that the function of Government was solely to keep the peace. While religious enthusiasts like to point out the section of the Declaration of Independence that states that our "Creator" endowed us with certain unalienable rights, they seem unable to thoroughly assess the meaning of the following words that state these rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These are secular attributes of government, i.e. that the state should protect us, and our property, and keep us free. And that is exactly the role envisioned by our Founders. Government should not promote religious laws that place restriction on our basic freedoms. Government should not decide moral issues.Jefferson and the others felt that when religion was involved in government it corrupted government and degraded religion. He felt it absurd that politicians should be the interpreters of the will of God. God, said Jefferson, needs no government officials to speak for Him. Jefferson, Monroe, and Madison did not want religion mixed with politics, and this book provides us with an excellent exposition of their views. Many Christians were very upset with the "godless constitution" and founded various organizations that from 1863 to 1945 fought for an amendment that would provide a statement in the preamble "acknowledging Almighty God as the source of all authority and power in civil government..". They, fortunately, have never been successful.

I have never been more proud to be an American

Well organized, superbly written, and short, this book conveys both the sweeping significance of the American revolution and the threat of the Religious Right better than any other I have seen. Its effectiveness is amplified by the evidence that the authors are supportive of a role for religion in society. Any "conservative" who is tempted by parochial school voucher proposals, any "liberal" who thinks America is just like other countries, any politician of any kind, and you too should read it. The Constitution properly protects motherhood and apple pie, but not flags and school prayers, because the Founding Fathers learned that symbols cannot be substitutes for substance. Let's keep it that way.