Description: Beyond Toleration by Chris Beneke The legal changes that brought religious liberty to the United States have been thoroughly documented. But no one has explained how 18th-century Americans managed to accommodate the religious differences that had produced so much bloodshed in the past. Drawing on pamphlets and broadsides, newspaper exchanges, document collections, personal diaries, church records, and legislative journals, Chris Beneke shows how early Americans learned to live amid a great diversity of beliefs and modes of worship. He briefly summarizes the long history of persecution in Europe and America, and then examines the factors that contributed to the cultural revolution that took place in the realm of ideas and public norms in America. Beneke is the first to offer a systematic explanation of how a people who still cared deeply about the fate of their immortal souls could manage to live with those who held significantly different beliefs about God and the church - in other words, how Americans learned to live with differences in matters of the highest importance to them, and found a way to articulate these differences without offense. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description At its founding, the United States was one of the most religiously diverse places in the world. Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Quakers, Dutch Reformed, German Reformed, Lutherans, Huguenots, Dunkers, Jews, Moravians, and Mennonites populated the nations towns and villages. Dozens of new denominations would emerge over the succeeding years. What allowed people of so many different faiths to forge a nationtogether? In this richly told story of ideas, Chris Beneke demonstrates how the United States managed to overcome the religious violence and bigotry that characterized much of early modern Europeand America. The key, Beneke argues, did not lie solely in the protection of religious freedom. Instead, he reveals how American culture was transformed to accommodate the religious differences within it. The expansion of individual rights, the mixing of believers and churches in the same institutions, and the introduction of more civility into public life all played an instrumental role in creating the religious pluralism for which the United States has become renowned. These changes alsoestablished important precedents for future civil rights movements in which dignity, as much as equality, would be at stake. Beyond Toleration is the first book to offer a systematicexplanation of how early Americans learned to live with differences in matters of the highest importance to them --and how they found a way to articulate these differences civilly. Today when religious conflicts once again pose a grave danger to democratic experiments across the globe, Benekes book serves as a timely reminder of how one country moved past toleration and towards religious pluralism. Author Biography Chris Beneke is Assistant Professor of History at Bentley College in Waltham, MA. He received his Bachelors degree from Cornell University and his PhD from Northwestern University. Review "This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of American pluralism and religious liberty. Both general readers and specialists will profit from this insightful, readable volume."--Church History"I know of no book that traces the historical transition from toleration to religious liberty in America as well as this one. This highly readable and well-documented text is sure to enjoy a wide readership." -- Derek H. Davis, author of Religion and the Continental Congress, 1774-1789: Contributions to Original Intent"Written in a sparkling style, this book exhibits a comprehensiveness -- both in the text and in the notes - -that wins immediate confidence. Moreover, the theme of the development of religious liberty in America is one whose significance can hardly be exaggerated. Readers will be richly informed by this wise and perceptive book." -- Edwin S. Gaustad, author of Roger Williams and Benjamin Franklin"In this well-written book, Chris Beneke argues that American colonials, even before the American revolution, had moved beyond the legal toleration of religious dissenters to create a pluralist culture that made the category of religious dissenter irrelevant. Several centuries later Americans still wrestle with the meaning of cultural pluralism, but Beneke correctly insists that men and women of ardent faith first made the concept central to the concept ofliberty." -- R. Laurence Moore, author of Touchdown Jesus: The Mixing of Sacred and Secular in American History"Beneke sees early American religious toleration as a necessary forerunner to present-day attempts not only to tolerate but to celebrate difference ... [A] wide-ranging, ambitious survey... well written and engaging." --American Historical Review"Beneke persuasively demonstrates that the mere pronouncement of toleration was far removed from the state of true tolerance that would later emerge." --The New England Quarterly"[A] shrewdly observing book." --Journal of Modern History"Refreshing...a multifaceted portrait fo the change in public norms from grudgin toleration of error to a robust articulation of the rights of religious minorities to live out their deepest commitments without fear of harassment or persecution." --Journal of Religion Long Description At its founding, the United States was one of the most religiously diverse places in the world. Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Quakers, Dutch Reformed, German Reformed, Lutherans, Huguenots, Dunkers, Jews, Moravians, and Mennonites populated the nations towns and villages. Dozens of new denominations would emerge over the succeeding years. What allowed people of so many different faiths to forge a nationtogether? In this richly told story of ideas, Chris Beneke demonstrates how the United States managed to overcome the religious violence and bigotry that characterized much of early modern Europe and America. The key, Beneke argues, did not lie solely in the protection of religious freedom.Instead, he reveals how American culture was transformed to accommodate the religious differences within it. The expansion of individual rights, the mixing of believers and churches in the same institutions, and the introduction of more civility into public life all played an instrumental role in creating the religious pluralism for which the United States has become renowned. These changes also established important precedents for future civil rights movements in which dignity, as much asequality, would be at stake. Beyond Toleration is the first book to offer a systematic explanation of how early Americans learned to live with differences in matters of the highest importance to them --and how they found a way to articulate these differences civilly. Today when religiousconflicts once again pose a grave danger to democratic experiments across the globe, Benekes book serves as a timely reminder of how one country moved past toleration and towards religious pluralism. Review Text "This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of American pluralism and religious liberty. Both general readers and specialists will profit from this insightful, readable volume."--Church History"I know of no book that traces the historical transition from toleration to religious liberty in America as well as this one. This highly readable and well-documented text is sure to enjoy a wide readership." -- Derek H. Davis, author of Religion and the Continental Congress, 1774-1789: Contributions to Original Intent"Written in a sparkling style, this book exhibits a comprehensiveness -- both in the text and in the notes - -that wins immediate confidence. Moreover, the theme of the development of religious liberty in America is one whose significance can hardly be exaggerated. Readers will be richly informed by this wise and perceptive book." -- Edwin S. Gaustad, author of Roger Williams and Benjamin Franklin"In this well-written book, Chris Beneke argues that American colonials, even before the American revolution, had moved beyond the legal toleration of religious dissenters to create a pluralist culture that made the category of religious dissenter irrelevant. Several centuries later Americans still wrestle with the meaning of cultural pluralism, but Beneke correctly insists that men and women of ardent faith first made the concept central to the concept ofliberty." -- R. Laurence Moore, author of Touchdown Jesus: The Mixing of Sacred and Secular in American History"Beneke sees early American religious toleration as a necessary forerunner to present-day attempts not only to tolerate but to celebrate difference ... [A] wide-ranging, ambitious survey... well written and engaging." --American Historical Review"Beneke persuasively demonstrates that the mere pronouncement of toleration was far removed from the state of true tolerance that would later emerge." --The New England Quarterly"[A] shrewdly observing book." --Journal of Modern History"Refreshing...a multifaceted portrait fo the change in public norms from grudgin toleration of error to a robust articulation of the rights of religious minorities to live out their deepest commitments without fear of harassment or persecution." --Journal of Religion Review Quote "This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of American pluralism and religious liberty. Both general readers and specialists will profit from this insightful, readable volume."--Church History "I know of no book that traces the historical transition from toleration to religious liberty in America as well as this one. This highly readable and well-documented text is sure to enjoy a wide readership." -- Derek H. Davis, author ofReligion and the Continental Congress, 1774-1789:Contributions to Original Intent "Written in a sparkling style, this book exhibits a comprehensiveness -- both in the text and in the notes - -that wins immediate confidence. Moreover, the theme of the development of religious liberty in America is one whose significance can hardly be exaggerated. Readers will be richly informed by this wise and perceptive book." -- Edwin S. Gaustad, author ofRoger WilliamsandBenjamin Franklin "In this well-written book, Chris Beneke argues that American colonials, even before the American revolution, had moved beyond the legal toleration of religious dissenters to create a pluralist culture that made the category of religious dissenter irrelevant. Several centuries later Americans still wrestle with the meaning of cultural pluralism, but Beneke correctly insists that men and women of ardent faith first made the concept central to the concept of liberty." -- R. Laurence Moore, author ofTouchdown Jesus: The Mixing of Sacred and Secular in American History "Beneke sees early American religious toleration as a necessary forerunner to present-day attempts not only to tolerate but to celebrate difference ... [A] wide-ranging, ambitious survey... well written and engaging." --American Historical Review "Beneke persuasively demonstrates that the mere pronouncement of toleration was far removed from the state of true tolerance that would later emerge." --The New England Quarterly "[A] shrewdly observing book." --Journal of Modern History "Refreshing...a multifaceted portrait fo the change in public norms from grudgin toleration of error to a robust articulation of the rights of religious minorities to live out their deepest commitments without fear of harassment or persecution." --Journal of Religion Feature First in-depth look at how tolerance for religious diversity emerged in early America Focuses on the cultural factors that changed attitudes toward religious pluralism Covers a large geographical area and many different religious groups over a long time-span Written for a general as well as a scholarly audience Details ISBN0195382668 Author Chris Beneke Short Title BEYOND TOLERATION Pages 320 Language English ISBN-10 0195382668 ISBN-13 9780195382662 Media Book Format Paperback Year 2008 Subtitle The Religious Origins of American Pluralism Illustrations black & white illustrations Position Assistant Professor of History Imprint Oxford University Press Inc Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Affiliation Assistant Professor of History, Bentley College DOI 10.1604/9780195382662 UK Release Date 2008-08-29 AU Release Date 2008-08-29 NZ Release Date 2008-08-29 US Release Date 2008-08-29 Publisher Oxford University Press Inc Publication Date 2008-08-29 Alternative 9780195305555 DEWEY 323.4420973 Audience Undergraduate We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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