Stephen Prothero is a professor at Boston University, focusing on religion. His work explores what Americans need to know about faith, advocating for mandatory courses in Bible literacy and world religions in public schools. He critically examines how religious figures and concepts become national icons. Prothero identifies himself as a "confused Christian."
How One Editor Transformed American Religion a Book at a Time
384 pages
14 hours of reading
The narrative explores the identity quest of twentieth-century America, focusing on the perspective of a prominent editor who navigates the complexities of being both a Christian nation and a diverse society of religions. Through the lens of significant historical events, particularly the impact of two world wars, the book delves into the quest for resolution and understanding of America's multifaceted identity. Stephen Prothero, a renowned religion scholar, brings this compelling saga to life, highlighting the interplay between faith and national identity.
Prothero provides readers with this much-needed content about each of the eight great religions. To claim that all religions are the same is to misunderstand that each attempts to solve a different human problem. For example: @2013Islam: the problem is pride / the solution is submission @2013Christianity: the problem is sin / the solution is salvation @2013Confucianism: the problem is chaos / the solution is social order @2013Buddhism: the problem is suffering / the solution is awakening @2013Judaism: the problem is exile / the solution is to return to God Prothero reveals each of these traditions on its own terms to create an indispensable guide for anyone who wants to better understand the big questions human beings have asked for millennia@2014and the disparate paths we are taking to answer them today. A bold polemical response to a generation of misguided scholarship, God Is Not One creates a new context for understanding religion in the twenty-first century and disproves the assumptions most of us make about the way the world's religions work
The Battles That Define America from Jefferson's Heresies to Gay Marriage
264 pages
10 hours of reading
In this timely social history of the United States, the bestselling author places today’s culture wars within a long-standing struggle between right and left, revealing that liberals ultimately prevail. The current political and cultural battles, though seemingly divisive, are not unprecedented. Stephen Prothero reframes these debates as the latest in a series of flashpoints that have shaped national identity. He takes readers on a historical journey, highlighting key moments such as the 1800 election between Calvinists and Jeffersonians, the mid-19th century Protestant campaign against Catholics, the anti-Mormon crusade of the Victorian era, the fundamentalist-modernist debates of the 1920s, the culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s, and the ongoing conflict against Islam. Prothero emphasizes that our culture wars have always been rooted in religious conflicts, progressing through stages of conservative reaction to liberal victory that ultimately benefit all Americans. Drawing on extensive research, he illustrates how competing religious beliefs have shaped political, economic, and sociological discourse. The conflicts we face today are part of our ongoing struggle with inclusiveness and the concept of “Americanness.” Exploring these battles offers insights into the soul of America and potential answers to pressing questions.
