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The venerable Edwin S. Gaustad's contribution to Oxford's "Religion in American Life" series is intended to serve as an accessible and comprehensive contribution to the political issues and debates "gathered under the heading of church and state" (13). Like the other volumes edited by Job Butler and Harry Stout, "Church and State in America" seeks to give introductory-level students a basic historical understanding of religion and politics in America, as well as a vocabulary for debating the issues pertaining to this complex subject. Yet while Gaustad's research and writing are characteristically impeccable, and though this volume is extremely teachable, there is an oddly truncated approach to the subject matter which ultimately compromises the work's utility to the beginning student of religion in America. It is in both the editors' and the author's introductions that the reader's expectations are established. Butler and Stout write that, in America's unique mixture of concern for religious liberty with the ambiguities attending that concern, an explosion of social and political issues have come to define the American religious landscape. Among these they name: the freedom of religious expression that "motivated millions of immigrants to come to America," tension between different religious and ethnic groups, territorial expansion and the American sense of mission, the legal parameters of the separation between church and state, as well as more general problems associated with pluralism and diversity (8). Gaustad himself echoes this breadth of scope when he links "church and state" with matters such as religious and racial bigotry, the extent of democratic participation, and the multiple interactions between religious and political power. Indeed, he states clearly that "church" should be understood as a sign for not only institutional forms of religion but "the church camp or festival, the street preacher, or even the Salvation Army Christmas kettle"(13), while "state" refers to "any level of government," from the federal to the city council. This broad-based approach to the subject is quite promising. Unfortunately, though, it is almost immediately exchanged for a narrow jurisprudential approach to the subject, wherein Gaustad essentially surveys high court activity throughout the centuries. Surely this is a critical element of any narrative of church and state, yet it is far from the only one. This legalistic emphasis comes couched in a fairly conventional narrative documenting the colonists' flight from the yoke of tyranny, the emergence of the republican tradition, and the flourishing of religious freedom and pluralism. It is in this relatively straightforward history that Gaustad excels, providing a readable and meaty introduction to this material. Usefully, the text is supplemented by sidebars on figures like Mary Dyer, as well as primary documents by the likes of Thomas Jefferson and John Winthrop. Gaustad proves particularly adept at illustrating the broader historical sweep of American religion through small events like the debates between royalist Thomas Bradbury Chandler and his antagonist William Livingston. Yet after Gaustad leaves behind the Constitutional Convention and the Jefferson presidency, the attention to detail is focused almost exclusively on the "quiet court" of the 19th century and the "busy court" of the 20th century. Where are the abolitionists, the populists, the suffragists, the progressives, the Social Gospel, the fundamentalists, the Catholic Workers, the Nation of Islam, and the scores of other religious communities who have raised important questions about the meanings of "church" and "state"? In fairness, Gaustad's last chapters on the establishment clause (specifically as found in the sphere of education) and the free exercise clause (especially its relation to pluralism) are improvements, though these too are quite court-oriented. In these chapters, Gaustad uses a tight thematic focus to unpack church-state issues. In his attention to specific venues, spheres, and backdrops, as well as to particular issues around which political energies are concentrated, Gaustad is able to demonstrate the impact of the loftier legal and constitutional issues on the everyday lives of the religious. As the book stands, despite its limitations of focus, it will provide the beginner with an important set of information and ideas with which to begin an exploration of American politics and religion. review ©2000 by Jason C. Bivins and RSiSS
Religion in American Life Return to Oxford's Religion in American Life Series
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