AUTHOR North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill. Program in The
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 278 596 SO 017 880 AUTHOR Livingston, James C., Ed. TITLE Religion and Government in Other Countries. Church, State and the First Amendment: A North Carolina Dialogue. INSTITUTION North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill. Program in the Humanities and Human Values. SPONS AGENCY National Endowment for the Humanities (NFAH), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 85 NOTE 155p.; For related documents, see SO 017 879-881. PUB TYPE Reports - Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Churches; Civil Liberties; Civil Rights; *Constitutional History; Culture; *Foreign Countries; Global Approach; Government Role; Relationship; *Religion; *Religious Cultural Groups; Religious Differences; Religious Factyrs; *State Church Separation; United States History IDENTIFIERS Anglican Church; Catholic Church; Germany; Iran; Islam; Israel; Lutheran Church; Orthodox Jews; Separatism; United Kingdom; United States ABSTRACT This anthology provides an introduction to a variety of theories about and historical types of church-state relations, past and present. It provides foreign models against which citizens can judge the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. constitutional arrangements. The analysis looks at Catholicism, Islam, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Judaism, and the Protestant "Free Church" tradition within the nine chapters: (1) "A Comparative Look at Church-State Relations"; (2) "The Theocratic Ideal"; (3) "The State Church"; (4) "The Roman Catholic Position and Its Development"; (5) "A Distinction between the 'Two Kingdoms'"; (6) "The Case of Israel: A State Poised between Secular Democracy and Theocratic Law";(7) "Separationism: The Witness of the Free or Believers' Church"; (8) "Separationism: Examples from Some Modern Secular States"; and (9) "Cooperation of Church and State: The Example of Education in Europe." Following each chapter are readings, questions for discussions, and suggestions for further reading. (KWL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** ion ,,ind Government in Other Countries edited by James C. Livingston "PERMISSICJN TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY S TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." ....... U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL. RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) )(This document has been reproduced as ''',. recewed from the person or organization CHURCH, STATE originating it CO 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quahty I and the Points Of view or opinions stated inthis docu- ment do not necessarily represent offic.R1 OERI position or policy FIRST AMENDMENT: A North Carolina Dialogue BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 Sponsored by: The Program in the Humanities and Human Values of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under a grant from The National Endowment for the Humanities Religion and Government in Other Countries edited by James C. Livingston Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably tt; zserable, and to peti- tion the government for a redress of grievances. Major funding for CHURCH, STATE AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT: A NORTH CAROLINA DIALOGUE has been provided under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Copyright0 1985 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Manufactured in the United States of America 4 CHURCH, STATE AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT: A NORTH CAROLINA DIALOGUE Volume I: Religion and Government in Other Countries Edited by James C. Livingston Professor Livingston teaches in the Department of Religion at the College of William and Mary. The author of ModernChris- tian Thought: From the Enlightenment to Vatican II, he recently edited an anthology entitled Religious Thought in the Eighteenth Century. In Religion and Government in Other Countries, Professor Livingstonpresents readings on the role of religion in other societies: the Islamic Republic of Iran, England, France, Germany, the USSR, and Israel. This anthology provides foreign modelsagainst which we can judge the strengths and the weaknesses of our own constitutional arrangements. Volume II: Religion and Law in American History Edited by John E. Semonche Professor Semonche, a lawyer and historian, teaches American constitutional and legal history in the Departmentof History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of Charting the Future: The Supreme Court Respondsto a Changing Society, 1890-1920 and Ray Stannard Baker: A Quest for Democracy in Modern America, 1870-1918. Part I of this anthology, Pro- fessor Semonche presents selections which address the historical arid philosophical background of the religion clauses.In Part TI he presents selections from the major court opinions on the relationship of religion and government. Volume III: Church, State and American Cu/ture Edited by Giles Gunn Professor Gunn is a member of the Depamnent of Religious Studies and the Curriculum in American Studiesat the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The author of a number of studieson religion and literature, Professor Gunn recently edited New World Metaphysics and The Bible and American Arts and Letters. He is also the author of The Interpretationof Otherness. In Church, State and American Culture, he presents readings on the tensions between America'sstrong religious heritage and the secularism of her fundamental law. Volume IV: Church, State and &fixation Edited by Waldo Beach Professor Beach teaches in the Divinity School of Duke University. Among his publicationsare Christian Comnatnity and Ameri- can Society, The Wheel and the Cross: A Christian Response to the Technological Revolution, and The Christian Life. In this anthology, he includes readings on the school prayer controversy, the creationism-evolution debate, the 'humanioriln-the-schoolsdispute, and government regulation of religious schools. These anthologies are available for use in communityprograms sponsored by non-profit organizationsTo obtain copies, con- tact CHURCH, STATE AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT A NORTH CAROLINA DIAIOGUE, 209 Abernethy Hall, Univer- sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. 5 North Carolina Dialog Le Advisory Committee James O. Abrahamson, Pastor John V. Orth, Associate Professor of Law Chapel Hill Bible Church University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill James Bond, Professor of Law J. Dickson Phillips, Jr., Judge Wake Forest University U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit David Bowman, Pastor Gerald J. Postema, Associate Professc,- of Philosophy First Presbyterian Church University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Rocky Mount, NC Walter F. Pratt, Jr., Associate Professor of Law Peter Fish, Professor of Political Science Duke University Duke University Prezell Robinson, President Edward G. Holley, Dean St. Augustine's College School of Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A. C. Snow, Editor The Raleigh Times Pamela S. Mayer, Superintendent Chapel Hill-Carrboro School System Arnold S. Task, Rabbi Temple Emanuel Warren A. Nord, Director Greensboro, NC Program in the Humanities and Human Values University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Grant Wacker, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project Director Diane Sasson Program in the Humanities and Human Vaues University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 6 Preface Throughout the 1984 national election a debate raged over the proper relationship between church andstate in this country. News magazines devoted cover stories to the topic. Talkshows featured prominent religious leaders, politicians, and civil libertarians who offered their opinions on issues ranging from school prayer to the nuclear freeze. In nationally televised debates President Ron- ald Reagan and former Vice Pmident Walter Mondale confronted questions about their personal religious beliefs and how these beliefs might affect their decisions in public office. Concerned clergymen signed a statement warning of the dangers of "Armageddon theology!' Emotions ran high and disagreements were sharp. Although the 1984 election ispast, America Is continue to struggle with the proper role of religion in politics, education, and culture. Yet despite the quantity of discussion, the quality of the debate is often not of the caliberwe would wish. Too often we talk past each other; too often we fail to listen to what others say. Because in a pluralistic society we Americans are divided by basic and frequently unnoticed assumptions about religion, the purposes of the state, and the principles of constitutional law,we frequently fail to recognize the underlying reasons for our disagreements. CHURCH, STATE AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT A NORTH CAROLINA DIALOGUE seeks to provide citizens of the state with opportunities to examine closely the meaning of the tv.o religion clauses of the First Amendment. Through public forums and debates, community programs, study groups, and radio and television documentaries, this projectencourages North Carolinians to place church-state issues into broader historical, religious and philosophical contexts, andto gain a wider perspective on the separation of church and state in America by comparing it with the relationship