God's New Israel - by Conrad Cherry (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The belief that America has been providentially chosen for a
special destiny has deep roots in the country's past. As both a
stimulus of creative American energy and a source of American
self-righteousness, this notion has long served as a motivating
national mythology.

God's New Israel is a collection of thirty-one readings that trace the theme of American destiny under God through major developments in U.S. history. First published in 1971 and now thoroughly updated to reflect contemporary events, it features the words of such prominent and diverse Americans as Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Jefferson, Brigham Young, Chief Seattle, Abraham Lincoln, Frances Willard, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Ralph Reed, and Rosemary Radford Ruether. Neither a history of American religious denominations nor a history of American theology, this book is instead an illuminating look at how religion has helped shape Americans' understanding of themselves as a people.

Review Quotes

"God's New Israel was an invaluable resource for decades. This new edition is a thorough revision which brings the story up to date and shows the continuing importance of the religious understanding of America. It deserves wide usage in college classrooms as well as in churches and community associations." -- Robert N. Bellah, coauthor of Habits of the Heart

"Ensures that this anthology should remain a standard work for scholars and students of American religious history." -- Religious Studies Review

About the Author

Conrad Cherry is Distinguished Professor of Religious
Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. His books include The Theology of Jonathan Edwards and Hurrying Toward Zion.