The Bible in the Public Square : Its Enduring Influence in American Life

This Fascinating Collection Of Essays Explores How Varying Perceptions And Interpretations Of Scripture Manifest Themselves In Key Spheres Of American Culture, Such As Conceptions Of American Identity, Politics, Popular Culture, And Public Education. It Marshals A Range Of Methodological Perspectives--american History, The History Of Ideas, Film Studies, Visual Studies, Cultural Studies, Education, And Church-state Studies--to Explore How Claims Of American Identity Have Been Interwoven With Ideological Appeals To The Nation's Purported Biblical Heritage, Demonstrate Ways In Which The Bible Serves As A Fertile Source For Political Rhetoric, Highlight The Use Of The Bible In Media Ranging From Hollywood Blockbusters To Rastafarian Lyrics, And Examine The Bible In The American Schoolhouse, An Issue That Prompted Some Of The Most Influential Court Rulings Of The Twentieth Century. (back Cover). Introduction / Mark A. Chancey, Caroll Meyers, And Eric M. Meyers -- Part 1. The Bible And Politics -- The Bible In The Presidential Elections Of 2012, 2008, 2004, And The Collapse Of American Secularism / Jacques Berlinerblau -- Biblical Imagery, The End Times, And Political Action: The Roots Of Christian Support For Zionism And Israel / Yaakov Ariel -- Part 2. The Bible, America's Founding Era, And American Identity -- Does America Have A Biblical Heritage? / John Fea -- God's New Israel: American Identification With Israel Ancient And Modern / Shalom Goldman -- The Image Of The Protestant Bible In America / David Morgan -- Part 3. The Bible And Popular Culture -- Holy Words In Hollywood: Demille's The Ten Commandments (1956) And American Identity / Adele Reinhartz -- History, Memory, And Forgetting In Psalm 137 / David W. Stowe -- Comic Book Bibles: Translation And The Politics Of Interpretation / Rubén Dupertuis -- Part 4. The Bible And Public Schools -- Battling Over The Bible In Public Schools: Is Common Ground Possible? / Charles C. Haynes -- Public School Bible Courses In Historical Perspective: North Carolina As A Case Study / Mark A. Chancey. Edited By Mark A. Chancey, Carol Meyers, And Eric M. Meyers. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.