Inventing a Christian America the myth of the religious founding Green, Steven K. (Steven Keith) 1955- creator author. text bibliography Electronic books. Church history History nyu 2015 monographic eng remote 1 online resource (xi, 295 pages) "Among the most enduring themes in American history is the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. A pervasive narrative in everything from school textbooks to political commentary, it is central to the way in which many Americans perceive the historical legacy of their nation. Yet, as Steven K. Green shows in this illuminating new book, it is little more than a myth. In Inventing a Christian America, Green, a leading historian of religion and politics, explores the historical record that is purported to support the popular belief in America's religious founding and status as a Christian nation. He demonstrates that, like all myths, these claims are based on historical 'facts' that have been colored by the interpretive narratives that have been imposed upon them. In tracing the evolution of these claims and the evidence levied in support of them from the founding of the New England colonies, through the American Revolution, and to the present day, he investigates how they became leading narratives in the country's collective identity. Three critical moments in American history shaped and continue to drive the myth of a Christian America: the Puritan founding of New England, the American Revolution and the forging of a new nation, and the early years of the nineteenth century, when a second generation of Americans sought to redefine and reconcile the memory of the founding to match their religious and patriotic aspirations. Seeking to shed light not only on the veracity of these ideas but on the reasons they endure, Green ultimately shows that the notion of America's religious founding is a myth not merely in the colloquial sense, but also in a deeper sense, as a shared story that gives deeper meaning to our collective national identity. Offering a fresh look at one of the most common and contested claims in American history, Inventing a Christian America is an enlightening read for anyone interested in the story of--and the debate over--America's founding"-- Introduction: The Christian Nation Debate, Methodological Fallacies, and the Role of Myths -- A Haven for Religious Freedom -- A Model for Christian and Civil Government -- The Revolutionary and Constitutional Impulse -- A Government of Men -- The Birth of a Myth -- Conclusion. Steven K. Green. Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL digitized 2011 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve pda MiAaHDL Includes bibliographical references and index. English. n-us--- Umschulungswerkstätten für Siedler und Auswanderer Freedom of religion United States History Christianity and politics United States History Founding Fathers of the United States Religious life Church and state United States History National characteristics, American History Collective memory United States History United States Church history United States History Errors, inventions, etc New England History Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 United States History Revolution, 1775-1783 Liberté religieuse États-Unis Histoire Christianisme et politique États-Unis Histoire Pères fondateurs des États-Unis Vie religieuse Église et État États-Unis Histoire Mémoire collective États-Unis Histoire États-Unis Histoire religieuse Nouvelle-Angleterre Histoire ca 1600-1775 (Période coloniale) États-Unis Histoire 1775-1783 (Révolution) POLITICAL SCIENCE Political Process Political Advocacy Christianity and politics Church and state Collective memory Freedom of religion National characteristics, American New England United States Christentum Geschichtsbild Staat Kirche Religionsfreiheit Zivilreligion Kristendom Nordamerika 15.85 history of America Christianity and politics United States History Church and state United States History Founding Fathers of the United States Religious life Freedom of religion United States History National characteristics, American History Collective memory United States History United States History Errors, inventions, etc New England History Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 United States History Revolution, 1775-1783 United States History 1783-1815 American Revolution (United States : 1775-1783) fast https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39Qhp4vB989PWKg6VGKmH6MwK 1600-1783 fast BR520 .G745 2015eb 322/.10973 15.85 HIS036000 HIS036030 REL084000 Inventing a Christian America New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2015] (DLC) 2014035665 (OCoLC)893455413 (DLC) 2014035665 (OCoLC)893455413 9780190230982 0190230983 9780190231002 0190231009 9780190230975 0190230975 0190675225 9780190675226 9780190230999 0190230991 2014035665 w7mz3z9 cloudLibrary http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=https://academic.oup.com/book/2474 N$T 150415 20260319160724.0 in00005711761 eng