For Zion's Sake The Judeo-Christian Tradition in American Culture

by Shaban, Fuad

• ISBN13: 9780745322377
• ISBN10: 0745322379
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-03-14
• Publisher: Pluto Press

Summary

This book explores the role of religion, especially religious extremism, in American culture. In particular, it examines the development of the Judeo-Christian tradition, its impact on America's self-image, and the way it has influenced America's attitude to the Arab World. The Christian Right has become a very powerful force in American politics. Its basic belief in Christian Zionism has resulted in a steadfast commitment to the establishment of the state of Israel and to its aggressive expansion, and has made Zionism a central part of government policy, for both Republicans and Democrats. Fuad Sha'ban shows how this is not a new phenomenon: what he terms the 'Vision of Zion' in American life has its roots in literature, the arts and internal politics from colonial times until today. Looking in detail at a wealth of resources, including religious and literary texts, as well as official political statements, he pieces together a subtle account of how America's Puritan roots have fostered a specifically religious political culture that encourages hatred and suspicion of the Muslim World in domestic and foreign policy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	ix
Foreword, by Ralph Braibanti	xiii
Introductory Essay, by Louis J. Budd	1	(10)
Introduction	11	(8)
Part I: In the Beginning	19	(8)
1 Christopher Columbus and the Quest for Zion	21	(6)
Part II: Zion in America	27	(90)
2 A Place for My People: The Pilgrims in the New World	29	(14)
3 The Star in the West: The United States as the Light of the World	43	(14)
4 The Great Seal of the United States of America	57	(4)
5 The Vision of Zion: The American Myth of the City on a Hill	61	(40)
6 Zion and the African-American Experience	101	(16)
Part III: The Promised Land	117	(32)
7 American Travelers in the Orient: The Quest for Zion	119	(30)
Part IV: Religion in America	149	(63)
8 The Judeo-Christian Tradition: Prelude	151	(10)
9 The Role of Religion in American Life	161	(31)
10 America and the Millennial Fever	192	(20)
Notes	212	(17)
Bibliography	229	(6)
Index	235