American civil religion : what Americans hold sacred / Peter Gardella.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gardella, Peter, 1951-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

National characteristics, American.

Public history--United States.

Public history.

Symbolism--United States.

Symbolism.

National monuments--Social aspects--United States.

National monuments.

Collective memory--United States.

Collective memory.

Patriotism--United States.

Patriotism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (385 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, [2014]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The United States has never had an officially established national church. Since the time of the first British colonists, it has instead developed a strong civil religion that melds God and nation. In a deft exploration of American civil religious symbols-from the Liberty Bell to the Vietnam Memorial, from Mount Rushmore to Disney World-Peter Gardella explains how the places, objects, and words that Americans hold sacred came into being and how Americans' feelings about them have changed over time. In addition to examining revered historical sites and structures, he analyzes such sacred texts

Contents:

Cover; American Civil Religion; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgments; 1. What Is American Civil Religion?; 2. America: The Name, the Concept, and the Word; 3. Jamestown and Its Anniversaries; 4. The Mayfl ower Compact; 5. Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims, and the Indians; 6. City on a Hill: From Jesus to Winthrop, Kennedy, and Reagan; 7. The Freedom Trail and Boston Common; 8. The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Slave Quarters; 9. The Flag; 10. The Declaration of Independence; 11. The Great Seal and the Dollar Bill; 12. The Constitution

13. Washington, D.C.: The City, the Capitol, and the White House14. The Star-Spangled Banner; 15. The Washington Monument; 16. The Battle Hymn of the Republic; 17. Gettysburg and the Gett ysburg Address; 18. Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address; 19. Arlington National Cemetery; 20. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; 21. America the Beautiful; 22. The Lincoln Memorial; 23. Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills; 24. God Bless America; 25. Th is Land Is Your Land; 26. The Four Freedoms; 27. Iwo Jima: The Picture, the Monuments, and the Battle; 28. Disney Parks; 29. The Kennedy Inaugural

30. King's Speeches: The Mall (1963) and Memphis (1968)31. Vietnam Veterans Memorial; 32. Transforming the National Mall; 33. Ground Zero, Martyrdom, and Empire; 34. Conflict, Consensus, and the Future

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-530017-3

0-19-935501-0

OCLC:

863673503