Religion and public life
Bruce T. Murray has written two books on religion, politics and the First Amendment: Religious Liberty in America: The First Amendment in Historical and Contemporary Perspective, published by University of Massachusetts Press in 2008; and Religious Liberty in America: Navigating the First Amendment in the Newsroom and Beyond, published by the Foundation for American Communications in 2005.
Murray has continued to cover religion and politics. His articles on the subject, first published on Web Sage Content Development, are now indexed on SageLaw as follows:
Religion and the First Amendment
The First Amendment defined
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...” — What do these 16 words mean?
Faith and Conscience in America
Charles C. Haynes of the First Amendment Center discusses the meaning and logic of the First Amendment.
The Historical Basis for the First Amendment
Philip Goff, of Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis shows how diversity among Protestant groups in early America led to a much broader conception of religious liberty.
The First Amendment in the news
An annotated news digest covering news events related to religious liberty. Also see related newsletters.
Religion, politics and region
Religion, politics and the Christian right
The era of the religious right is on the wane, but religion still matters in American politics. A discussion by Trinity College's Mark Silk at a conference sponsored by the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Religion and region in the United States
Americans' views toward religion vary considerably throughout the different regions of the United States. This discussion provides an overview of America's religious landscape, focusing particularly on the West Coast. Mark Silk of Trinity College and Wade Clark Roof of UCSB lead off the discussion.
The black church in America
Dual streams of African-American religion
R. Drew Smith of Morehouse College discusses the activist and spiritual dimensions of the black church in America.
Foundations of the Black Church
A primer on the African-American church tradition
The Hispanic church
Demographic Shifts and Trends
Latin Americans are strongly associated with Catholicism, but almost one quarter of all Latinos in the United States are Protestants. Gastón Espinosa of Claremont McKenna College explores religious trends and demographics among Latinos. (Article also cited in America's Religious Awakening: The Enduring Spirituality Of Latinos And Immigrants by Wayne Trujillo.)
‘Clash of civilizations’
What is the West’s Problem with Islam?
Author Christopher Caldwell takes on the "clash of civilizations," Nov. 19, 2008 at the Zócalo forum.
The challenge of religious diversity
First Amendment Center Senior Scholar Charles Haynes discusses solutions to the challenge of religious diversity.
Integration for Europe
Steven Simon of the Council on Foreign Relations offers policy solutions for Europe's immigration-integration challenges.
Beyond the clash of civilizations
Boston University Professor Adam Seligman explains why internal conflicts within societies can be even more dangerous than international conflicts and the so-called “clash of civilizations.”
Iran and the clash within civilizations
The deadly street demonstrations during the summer of 2009 highlight the concept of “clash within civilization” — a turnaround of the much-bandied phrase, “clash of civilizations.”
Religion and terrorism
‘Terror in the Mind of God’
University of California, Santa Barbara Professor Mark Juergensmeyer interviews religious militants around the world and offers insight into their thinking.
Inside the Global Jihad
Steven Simon of the Council on Foreign Relations explains why Osama bin Laden's words have currency in the Islamic world – with extremists and ordinary Muslims alike.
World religions
Understanding ‘The Big Three’
Judaism, Christianity and Islam arose in an age of transcendence. Boston University Professor Adam Seligman provides an overview.
A ‘moody’ God
Author Robert Wright takes a look at the many facets of God, and correlates the tone of scripture with “events on the ground.” Summary of a presentation June 10, 2009 at the Zócalo forum.