“Situated between the two models is the model of the United States of America. Formed on the basis of free churches, it adopts a separation between church and state. Above and beyond the single denominations, it is characterized by a protestant Christian consensus that is not defined in denominational terms but rather in association with its sense of a special religious mission toward the rest of the world. The religious sphere thus acquires a significant weight in public affairs and emerges as a pre-political and supra-political force with the potential to have a decisive impact on political life. One can of course not hide the fact that in the United States, too, the Christian heritage is decaying at an incessant pace, while at the same time the rapid increase in the Hispanic population and the presence of religious traditions from all over the world have changed the picture.”
I don't know the context of that quote, but I disagree with the seeming implication that the Hispanic influx bodes ill for America's religious future. Most of them are devout Catholics, so far as I can see.
Guess we'll have to wait for the rest of this forthcoming article....
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by! Please keep your comments civil and on-topic. Spammage will be cheerfully removed.