Religious Myths and Visions of America: How Minority Faiths Redefined America's World Role

by Christopher Buck

Overview

At the heart of American studies is the idea of America itself. Here, Buck looks at the religious significance of America by examining those religions that have attached some kind of spiritual meaning to America. The author explores how American Protestantism-and nine minority faiths-have projected America into the mainstream of world history by defining-and by redefining-America's world role. Surveying the religious myths and visions of America of ten religions, Buck shows how minority faiths have redefined America's sense of national purpose. This book invites serious reflection on what it means to be an American, particularly from a religious perspective.

Religious myths of America are thought-orienting narratives that serve as vehicles of spiritual and social truths about the United States itself. Religious visions of America are action-oriented agendas that articulate the goals to which America should aspire and the role it should play in the community of nations. Buck examines the distinctive perspectives held by ten religious traditions that inform and expand on the notion of America, and its place in the world. He covers Native American, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Christian Identity, Black Muslim, Islamic, Buddhist, and Baha'i beliefs and invites serious reflection on what it means to be an American, particularly from a religious perspective.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313359590
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/30/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Christopher Buck is a Pennsylvania attorney and independent scholar, who has taught at Michigan State University, Quincy University, Millikin University, and Carleton University. His publications include Alain Locke: Faith and Philosophy, Paradise and Paradigm: Key Symbols in Persian Christianity and the Baha'i Faith, Symbol and Secret: Qur'an Commentary in Baha'u'llah's Kitab-i-Iqan, as well as a number of book chapters, jourbanal articles, and encyclopedia articles.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I. AMERICA: NATION and NOTION
II. NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA
III. PROTESTANT MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA
IV. CATHOLIC MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA
V. JEWISH MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA1
VI. MORMON MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA
VII. CHRISTIAN IDENTITY MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA
VIII. BLACK MUSLIM MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA
IX. CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA
X. BUDDHIST MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA
XI. BAHAI MYTHS AND VISIONS OF AMERICA
XII. CONCLUSION: HOW MINORITY FAITHS REDEFINED AMERICAS WORLD ROLE
REFERENCES

What People are Saying About This

Richard W

"For those of us who have yearned for a more readable and scholarly book on the multifaceted ways in which minorities, be they racial , cultural or religious, have 'redefined America's World Role,' Christopher Buck's most recent book is a welcomed addition to the fields of racial, cultural and ethnic studies. Using myths and visions of minority faiths as angels of visions, Buck has introduced an engageing and fresh new approach to understanding and appreciating the influence of these faiths on America's role in the world. He does this by bringing these minority faiths from the periphery of scholalry discourse to the center of a new, more inclusive scholalry discourse. Above all, Buck keeps the reader engaged and intrigued in a study that reads like a good novel by a warm fire on a cold winter evening."

Andrew Rippin Department of History

"This is an ambitious and unique work, covering a broad range of religious visions of America in their global context. Buck's firm theoretical framework and rigorous documentation make this a significant contribution to contemporary discussions of the place, role and future of the diversity of religions that make up America today."

Todd LawsonProfessor of Islamic Studies

"An experiment on the idea of America with engaging results, this book examines the role of ten religions in redefining America's world role—a topic of importance given America's influence in world affairs. On the premise that America is both nation and notion, this project is a breath of methodological fresh air. Religious Myths and Visions of America is a novel, imaginative and rigorously scholarly contribution to comparative religion, worthy of serious attention and debate. Of general contemporary and historical interest to students, scholars, and thinking people everywhere."

Todd Lawson Professor of Islamic Studies

"An experiment on the idea of America with engaging results, this book examines the role of ten religions in redefining America's world role--a topic of importance given America's influence in world affairs. On the premise that America is both nation and notion, this project is a breath of methodological fresh air. Religious Myths and Visions of America is a novel, imaginative and rigorously scholarly contribution to comparative religion, worthy of serious attention and debate. Of general contemporary and historical interest to students, scholars, and thinking people everywhere."

William E. Paden Department of Religion The University of Vermont

"Christopher Buck's new book is a timely and highly readable consideration of the way American religions have continued to remythologize the country. To this theme the author brings impressive research and notable facility in the comparative study of myth while at the same time presenting the material in an entirely accessible, lucid and interesting manner. Few topics are more relevant today, in a time when the self-definition of Americans is such an influential force on the global stage."

William E. PadenDepartment of ReligionThe University of Vermont

"Christopher Buck's new book is a timely and highly readable consideration of the way American religions have continued to remythologize the country. To this theme the author brings impressive research and notable facility in the comparative study of myth while at the same time presenting the material in an entirely accessible, lucid and interesting manner. Few topics are more relevant today, in a time when the self-definition of Americans is such an influential force on the global stage."

Andrew RippinDepartment of History

"This is an ambitious and unique work, covering a broad range of religious visions of America in their global context. Buck's firm theoretical framework and rigorous documentation make this a significant contribution to contemporary discussions of the place, role and future of the diversity of religions that make up America today."

Bruce E. Johansen Frederick W. Kayser Professor

"Religious Myths and Visions of America is an intellectual feast, sparkling with original interpretations of how many religions have helped shape America's national character, from the Iroquois origin story, to Christian, Mormon, Baha'i, and Black Muslim beliefs, among others. This book will provoke insights and controversy for years to come."

Bruce E. JohansenFrederick W. Kayser Professor

"Religious Myths and Visions of America is an intellectual feast, sparkling with original interpretations of how many religions have helped shape America's national character, from the Iroquois origin story, to Christian, Mormon, Baha'i, and Black Muslim beliefs, among others. This book will provoke insights and controversy for years to come."

Editorial Reviews

This interesting, thoroughly researched scholarly study examines how ten minor religions interpreted America's reality ("nation and notion") and generated numerous religious myths and visions of America. . . . The author is a well-known university professor who published other books and articles on comparative religions, and this volume is certainly a welcome addition to the topic of racial, cultural, and ethnic studies. Copious footnotes accompany each chapter. There is also a very extensive bibliography and a good general index. Recommended for comparative ethnic and religion collections.” —MultiCultural Review

“Religious Myths and Visions of America has many strengths. The author has defended his thesis with solid research. He has also made an original contribution to American studies.” —Jourbanal of American History

“This volume may be of interest to readers involved not only in Religious Studies, but also in Political Science, History, Intellectual History, American Studies, and Cultural Studies. . . . In the course of the detailed and well-documented analysis of individual religions, Buck reveals a highly elaborate and in-depth picture of the various beliefs, which is indeed impressive. . . He argues that the original myth and vision of America as a nation was captured by the Protestant notion of manifest destiny. This has been challenged by the other faiths . . . that have transformed the idea of manifest destiny into America's common destiny. . . The book is overall a fresh and stimulating cultural reading of some of America's religions and the complex ways in which their followers make sense of and act in the world.” —Nova Religio: The Jourbanal of Alternative and Emergent Religions

“The topic of America (i.e. the USA) and how it perceives itself is certainly of great current interest. In particular the rising awareness of the role played by religion, which makes this book an attractive read. The book is for the most part accessible for the non-specialist, with no background in Religious Studies, as well as specialists in fields such as American Studies or Political Science. There can be no doubt that Buck's book takes a novel look at America through the lenses of these religious traditions in a way that has not been done before. It provides a fascinating catalogue of religious traditions for inspection, which will be of interest to students of Comparative Religion as well as specialists in other fields. Non-specialists interested in religious views of America will also benefit from reading this to appreciate the diversity of views that populate the religious scenery of America.” —Bahá'í Studies Review

“Buck, an attorney and independent scholar who has taught at several universities, describes how minority religions have shaped America. He considers the myths and views of America in Protestantism and nine minority faiths—Native American religion (Iroquois), Catholicism, Judaism, Mormonism, Christian Identity (white nationalism), Black Muslim, Islam, Buddhism, and the Bahá'í Faith—particularly for what they have to say about America. He addresses specific myths, such as those about the 'promised land,' Manifest Destiny, race, and America's world role.” —Reference & Research Book News

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