The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God: The Role of Theological Claims in the Argument of the Declaration of Independence

It is not uncommon in this country to hear someone say something like, "America is a country based on Judeo-Christian principles." Many of us would accede to some such claim. It has the ring of truth about it, but I suspect that the ring of truth depends on the vagueness of each crucial te...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fairbanks, Rick (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Cambridge Univ. Press 1994
In: Journal of law and religion
Year: 1994, Volume: 11, Issue: 2, Pages: 551-589
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Summary:It is not uncommon in this country to hear someone say something like, "America is a country based on Judeo-Christian principles." Many of us would accede to some such claim. It has the ring of truth about it, but I suspect that the ring of truth depends on the vagueness of each crucial term in the claim, including "based on," "Judeo-Christian principles," and "America." "America," for example, might stand in here for the Constitution, popular mores, governmental institutions, or extra-Constitutional fundamental political claims, etc. I intend to make this claim precise in a number of ways, and then to ask whether the ring of truth remains. Although I address a considerably narrower claim, that claim is not without interest. If nothing else, I hope the reader will see what an immense task awaits those who wish to defend the claim in its general form.
ISSN:2163-3088
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of law and religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/1051380