The Three Theologies of Murray v. Curlett: Atheism, Constitutionalism, and Christianity in American Postwar Culture

Murray v. Curlett, decided in conjunction with School District of Abington Township v. Schempp, removed the Lord’s Prayer and Bible reading from public schools in 1963. The prevailing national discourse that emerged during the following school year represented a relatively united organization agains...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Aiello, Thomas 1977- (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
Vérifier la disponibilité: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Publié: 2024
Dans: Journal of religion & society. Supplement
Année: 2024, Volume: 25, Pages: 5-24
Sujets non-standardisés:B Atheism
B Education
B Race
B Supreme Court
B Communism
B Madalyn Murray
Accès en ligne: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Résumé:Murray v. Curlett, decided in conjunction with School District of Abington Township v. Schempp, removed the Lord’s Prayer and Bible reading from public schools in 1963. The prevailing national discourse that emerged during the following school year represented a relatively united organization against the ruling, based primarily on moral, rather than legal, grounds. The Supreme Court’s verdict became a target of public outrage, the narrative opposing the Court’s Murray decision creating its own theology, one that tied religious faith to a civic and patriotic idealism disconnected from the teachings of the leader in whose name they so often prayed. In the process, pundits posed American constitutionalism as its own form of theological dogma, one with similar flawed readings of the text upon which the improvised faith tradition was based. Those dogmas were posed against atheism, presented as its own theology, one that also came incumbent with a secular governmental corollary in the form of communism. The battle between atheism, constitutionalism, and Christianity would shape the narrative that would continue to influence public opinion and policy through the rest of the century.
ISSN:1941-8450
Contient:Enthalten in: Journal of religion & society. Supplement