Religion and Politics in the United States: An Overview

Abstract

This article seeks to examine the relationship between the sacred and the secular in the United States historically and in the present. It probes what the founding fathers intended and how church-state relations have changed over time. The tendency of contemporary leaders to inject their religious views into public policy positions is analyzed in some detail, and perils of abridging the principles of church-state relations that are enshrined in the Constitution are reviewed. Also treated is the perception of leaders and opinion makers at home and abroad. An effort is made to draw on the thought of both classical and recent interpreters of the problem. The shifts in the positions of American leaders in response to the demands of partisan politics are noted.