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This chapter explores a particular application of the well-accepted view that effective leaders both understand and help shape their institution’s culture. Language and religious symbols make a vital difference in developing a vision of society. This chapter analyzes three cases in which leaders acted to transform public culture towards inclusion vis-à-vis America’s religious diversity: William and Mary President Gene Nichol and his decision about the Wren cross; Keith Ellison, a U.S. Muslim congressman, and his swearing-in using a Quran; and former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his statements on religion in public schools and on religion in the federal workplace. These cases suggest that good leadership requires facing the dilemmas that religious symbols can create, and then transforming them into opportunities to expand American public culture. Each case sheds light on what leaders should and should not do to shape the culture.

This chapter develops the theory of church-state separation and the ethics of citizenship set out in chapters 2 and 3. It makes a case for both toleration and forgiveness as elements in a flourishing democracy. It sketches an account of civic virtue and shows how achieving that is possible both for secular citizens and for those whose public conduct is guided largely by their religion. Widening its focus to the globalized world we live in, the chapter contrasts cosmopolitanism with nationalism and suggests how citizenship—nationally and internationally—should reflect the principles proposed in the book.

This chapter reflects on issues arising from the practice of religion in the workplace and how to resolve them. Employers and employees will confront complex issues that typically occur in the struggle to protect the rights of those who wish to exercise their religious beliefs while also securing the rights of those who elect not to participate in workplace religious activities. Title VII and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have been the primary avenues for resolving religious disputes in the workplace. This chapter considers whether Title VII and the EEOC offer the best ways of resolving religious disputes by focusing on the case of Home Depot, which failed to accommodate the Sabbath observance of one of its workers, Bradley Baker. It argues that dealing with religious matters in the workplace requires common sense, good business practices, and a continuing attitude of respect for all parties involved. It also contends that litigation is not the ideal way for an employer or an employee to cope with offensive or hostile work environment problems.

This chapter considers whether religion has a place in the American workplace. It is often argued that the presence of religion in the office and other work areas creates conflict and division and that employers and employees would be far better off if it were barred from the work environs. While religion in the workplace may be disruptive and divisive, the question is whether it should it be prohibited. This chapter provides a historical background on the presence of religion in the American workplace, with particular emphasis on forces that have introduced religion to the workplace such as the Social Gospel Movement and the Faith at Work Movement. It also examines the conflict caused by the introduction of religion to the workplace, especially the one involving Christians who are motivated by their religious beliefs to spread the faith among their fellow workers.

This book examines a host of issues associated with the growing presence of religion in the workplace. More specifically, it considers the difficulties that arise for both employers and employees when they become involved in workplace religious disputes. The book analyzes court cases arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits religious discrimination in both the private and public sector, and the First Amendment, which does the same in the public sector. It also explores the circumstances under which a worker is limited in practicing his or her religious beliefs in the workplace. The case summaries are intended to help readers understand the basic legal concepts applicable to the resolution of religious disputes in the workplace and to undertake measures appropriate to the circumstances they themselves encounter in the workplace.