In the opening foreword to the book, Taking Religious Pluralism Seriously: Spiritual Politics on America’s Sacred Ground, prominent author and Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University Diana L. Eck highlights the importance of pluralism in the United States. “Pluralism is much more than the simple fact of diversity. Pluralism is not a given, but an achievement. It is engaging that diversity in the creation of a common society.” In a way, this statement summarizes the accomplishment in studies made concerning the study of religious pluralism. Ever since the 1955 publication of the essay, Protestant-Catholic-Jew: An Essay in American Religious Sociology by Will Herberg, studies concerning the religious makeup
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Furthermore, the claim that the religious makeup of the United States has always consisted of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish Americans has not been removed from the story. In fact, their role has even expanded from the influential work of Herberg. While studies in the various religious minorities have increasingly been included in the historiography covering religious pluralism in the United States after the end of World War II, much work still remains on covering certain religious groups, such as Native American/tribal and even African American religious faiths. Furthermore, historical monographs covering the study of religious pluralism after World War II in the United States has only just grown, and continues to grow, in relocating the common narrative of religious pluralism to the entire country, encompassing the land from sea to shining …show more content…
In line with the thesis of this work, little work has unfortunately been published concerning the relationship between Christianity and Native American religions. Despite this, an exciting and burgeoning school of thought in the last forty years that has progressively re-examined the religious makeup of the United States with Native Americans as prominent voices in the growing disparity between religious faiths. Although this school of thought is incredibly exciting and greatly needed in the larger narrative of religious pluralism, only two scholars have since published extensive material concerning the topic. Both Vine Deloria Jr. and James Treat are highly accomplished and prolific writers over Native American religious studies in relation to Protestant America. Beyond Deloria Jr. and Treat, there has seemingly been a lackluster push for Native American religions to make its way into the
Furthermore, the claim that the religious makeup of the United States has always consisted of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish Americans has not been removed from the story. In fact, their role has even expanded from the influential work of Herberg. While studies in the various religious minorities have increasingly been included in the historiography covering religious pluralism in the United States after the end of World War II, much work still remains on covering certain religious groups, such as Native American/tribal and even African American religious faiths. Furthermore, historical monographs covering the study of religious pluralism after World War II in the United States has only just grown, and continues to grow, in relocating the common narrative of religious pluralism to the entire country, encompassing the land from sea to shining …show more content…
In line with the thesis of this work, little work has unfortunately been published concerning the relationship between Christianity and Native American religions. Despite this, an exciting and burgeoning school of thought in the last forty years that has progressively re-examined the religious makeup of the United States with Native Americans as prominent voices in the growing disparity between religious faiths. Although this school of thought is incredibly exciting and greatly needed in the larger narrative of religious pluralism, only two scholars have since published extensive material concerning the topic. Both Vine Deloria Jr. and James Treat are highly accomplished and prolific writers over Native American religious studies in relation to Protestant America. Beyond Deloria Jr. and Treat, there has seemingly been a lackluster push for Native American religions to make its way into the