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 Historicizing Race: Albert J. Raboteau, Religious History, and the Ambiguities of Blackness

J. Kameron Carter

in Race: A Theological Account

Here this chapter engages the work of Albert Raboteau, the elder statesman of contemporary African American religious history, particularly his early work, Slave Religion (1978). The ambiguity of ... More

Here this chapter engages the work of Albert Raboteau, the elder statesman of contemporary African American religious history, particularly his early work, Slave Religion (1978). The ambiguity of this text, which is emblematic of the field, lies in its impression that black religion generally and Afro‐Christianity particularly is a reflex of race, an (essentialist) echo of “Africanity” or “blackness” itself. Thus, black cultural nationalism is at the root of black religion. However, such a reading of black faith only lodges it within, rather than seeing it as trying to disrupt, modernity's racial imagination.The chapter then reexamine Raboteau's early work in light of his post‐Slave Religion work, inspired as it is by icon theology. Raboteau can now historically call attention to how Afro‐Christianity disrupts the racial gaze. The book later refines and presses Raboteau's fledgling and sketchy insights in a theologically robust direction.Less

Tribal Talk:: African Ancestral Spirituality as a Resource for Wholeness

Will “Esuyemi” Coleman

in Teaching African American Religions

This chapter discusses the text, Tribal Talk. Topics covered include Black theology, the use of broken English in the narrative, hermeneutics, African-derived religions in the Americas, and ... More

This chapter discusses the text, Tribal Talk. Topics covered include Black theology, the use of broken English in the narrative, hermeneutics, African-derived religions in the Americas, and African-American religious history.Less

The Federalists and the Uses of Military Powers

Max. M Edling

in A Revolution in Favor of Government: Origins of the U.S. Constitution and the Making of the American State

Chapter 9 and the corresponding Ch. 14 in Part Three of the book offer brief sketches of the institutionalization of the military and fiscal powers granted by the US Constitution, and of the uses ... More

Chapter 9 and the corresponding Ch. 14 in Part Three of the book offer brief sketches of the institutionalization of the military and fiscal powers granted by the US Constitution, and of the uses made of them by the Federalists in the 1790s. Gives a historical account of the uses made by the national government during that period of the military powers that it was granted by the Constitution. Aims to make a judgment on the political achievement of the Federalists that hinges on the extent to which they managed to translate their principles into action when they transformed the articles of the Constitution into the policies and institutions of the new national government. Part of the discussion also addresses the fact that during the quarter century following the First US Congress, the USA had to respond repeatedly to events originating in Europe far beyond the federal government's control, and overall, drew advantage from the warfare that engulfed Britain, France, and Spain. It is noted that is not easy to answer the question of whether the federal government had any part in making this possible, but a cautious answer based on works of diplomatic history is that the reform of the federal government did make a difference to the actions of European governments.Less

Communalist and Dispersionist Approaches to American Jewish History in an Increasingly Post-Jewish Era

David A. Hollinger

in After Cloven Tongues of Fire: Protestant Liberalism in Modern American History

This chapter develops an analogy between post-Protestant and post-Jewish cultural situations. It does so in the context of identifying and clarifying a vital issue in the study of American Jewish ... More

This chapter develops an analogy between post-Protestant and post-Jewish cultural situations. It does so in the context of identifying and clarifying a vital issue in the study of American Jewish history: to what extent is that field properly focused on communal Jewry and to what extent might its focuses be expanded to take full account of what persons of Jewish origin have done in the world, regardless of the degree of Jewish identity they, themselves, proclaim? The chapter pulls together arguments that the author has offered over the course of thirty-five years of writing about the Jewish experience in twentieth-century America. Thus, it connects After Cloven Tongues of Fire with an earlier collection, Science, Jews, and Secular Culture. A theme of several essays in each of these two volumes is the disruptive effect Jews have had on the cultural hegemony of Protestants in American life.Less

Introduction

Reid L. Neilson and Terryl L. Givens

in Joseph Smith, Jr.: Reappraisals After Two Centuries

As scholars of the American religious past and present continue to move away from the consensus model, in which the upstart Latter-day Saint tradition had no real fit, and embrace conflict, contact, ... More

As scholars of the American religious past and present continue to move away from the consensus model, in which the upstart Latter-day Saint tradition had no real fit, and embrace conflict, contact, and other methodologies, Joseph Smith is beginning to get a new hearing in scholarly surveys, monographs, textbooks, and articles. The rationale behind this collection is that the day has come when the founder of Mormonism and his prominent role in American history and religious thought can not be denied. The attention paid to Smith’s teachings, charismatic ministry, and religion-making imagination now extends to scholars in American history, religious studies, sociology, biblical studies, Christian philosophy, Literature, and the Humanities--all of whom are represented in this collection. It is our intent to reflect in these pages the wide-ranging interest in Joseph Smith that the commemorative conferences only suggested.Less

Introduction

Alan M. Dershowitz

in Supreme Injustice: How the High Court Hijacked Election 2000

Presents the author's strong opinions on the ending of the 2000 US presidential election. Starts by pointing out that the five justices who ended the 2000 election by stopping the Florida hand ... More

Presents the author's strong opinions on the ending of the 2000 US presidential election. Starts by pointing out that the five justices who ended the 2000 election by stopping the Florida hand recount have damaged the credibility of the US Supreme Court, and that their lawless decision in Bush vs Gore promises to have a more enduring impact on Americans than the outcome of the election itself. The USA accepted the election of George W. Bush, as it must under the rule of law, but the unprecedented decision of the five justices to substitute their political judgement for that of the people threatens to undermine the moral authority of the high court for generations to come — for the Supreme Court consists of only nine relatively unknown justices with small staffs, and it has wielded an enormous influence on US history. The majority ruling in Bush vs Gore has marked a number of significant firsts in American history; these are outlined and it is noted that there is now a widespread loss of confidence that reaches to the highest part of the judiciary, that the Supreme Court decision may well have violated Article II of the Constitution, and, furthermore, determined a presidential election on doubtful equal protection grounds. Attempts to explain the Court's decision and the justices concerned, and establish how the USA has reached the point where five unelected judges could have had so much influence on the political destiny of a nation.Less

Introduction: The Question of Thrift

James Davison Hunter

Joshua J. Yates (ed.)

in Thrift and Thriving in America: Capitalism and Moral Order from the Puritans to the Present

This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the renewed importance of the concept of thrift in American consciousness in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. It then presents ... More

This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the renewed importance of the concept of thrift in American consciousness in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. It then presents reasons for studying thrift including its absence in moral philosophy and moral theology and its rather sudden and seemingly arbitrary appearance in history. It further argues that a social history and moral philosophical reflection on thrift is a window into the changing culture of capitalism, and this claim begins to gesture at the ambition of this volume. This book aims to offer a conceptually fresh, empirically vibrant, and largely unprecedented account of thrift in American history. Underpinning the rich diversity of disciplinary perspectives are two overarching claims: firstly, what is striking from even a cursory glance at the history of thrift is its astonishing capaciousness and dynamism, challenging the narrow and attenuated rendering of thrift as mere frugality; and, secondly, the idiom of thrift has served as the primary language Americans have used for articulating the normative dimensions of economic life throughout their history. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.Less

Social History and Intellectual History

James T. Kloppenberg

in The Organization of American Historians and the Writing and Teaching of American History

A half century or more ago, historians combined social and intellectual history into one course. More recently, the topics have been separated, but this book returns “to the older, and wiser, ... More

A half century or more ago, historians combined social and intellectual history into one course. More recently, the topics have been separated, but this book returns “to the older, and wiser, tradition of joining together thought and practice, ideas and behavior, as aspects of the single, albeit multifaceted, reality that all of us American historians study”.Less

Public History: Past and Present

Spencer R. Crew

in The Organization of American Historians and the Writing and Teaching of American History

This chapter explores the “clash of values” between academic and public historians. It defines the similarities and differences between them and the reasons for the formation of separate ... More

This chapter explores the “clash of values” between academic and public historians. It defines the similarities and differences between them and the reasons for the formation of separate organizations for public historians and suggests that the American Historical Association responded more positively to the challenge from public historians than the Organization of American Historians has until recently.Less

Cowboy Lawmen

Abigail A. Kohn

in Shooters: Myths and Realities of America's Gun Cultures

This chapter discusses the role of cowboy lawmen in gun culture in the U.S. It explains that Americans have long romanticized the American West and the frontier as places that forged some of the most ... More

This chapter discusses the role of cowboy lawmen in gun culture in the U.S. It explains that Americans have long romanticized the American West and the frontier as places that forged some of the most legendary heroes of American history. These heroes were the gun-toting cowboy lawmen. This chapter suggests that cowboy action shooting dramatizes the central theme of American mythic history: that American identity was reborn and remade through violent conflict, and it contributes to the ritual enactment to this legendary time in American history.Less

One Hundred Years of History: Extraordinary Change, Persistent Challenges

William H. Chafe

in The Organization of American Historians and the Writing and Teaching of American History

This chapter summarizes the discussions in Chapters 2 to 4. It notes that, throughout the past century, professional historians have struggled over whether they should seek scientific detachment and ... More

This chapter summarizes the discussions in Chapters 2 to 4. It notes that, throughout the past century, professional historians have struggled over whether they should seek scientific detachment and objectivity or engage in advocacy to advance the principles of a democratic society.Less

The Rise of a Modern and Democratic Learned Society

Stanley N. Katz

in The Organization of American Historians and the Writing and Teaching of American History

This chapter focuses on the early history of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association (MVHA). It details the decision to change the name of MVHA to the Organization of American Historians (OAH) ... More

This chapter focuses on the early history of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association (MVHA). It details the decision to change the name of MVHA to the Organization of American Historians (OAH) in 1964 and the OAH's efforts to become a modern and democratic learned society during the 1960s and 1970s.Less