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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Why The Covenant Worked: On The Institutional Foundations Of The American Civil Religion, John W. Compton
Why The Covenant Worked: On The Institutional Foundations Of The American Civil Religion, John W. Compton
Political Science Faculty Articles and Research
Scholars of American civil religion (ACR) have paid insufficient attention to the micro-level processes through which civil religious ideas have historically influenced beliefs and behavior. We know little about what makes such appeals meaningful to average Americans (assuming they are meaningful); nor do we know much about the mechanisms through which abstract religious themes and imagery come to be associated with specific policy aims, or what Robert Bellah called “national goals.” This article argues that a renewed focus on the relationship between civil religion and organized religion can help fill this gap in the literature. More specifically, I draw attention …
Effect Of Religious Legislation On Religious Behavior: The Ramadan Fast, Hannah M. Ridge
Effect Of Religious Legislation On Religious Behavior: The Ramadan Fast, Hannah M. Ridge
Political Science Faculty Articles and Research
State laws compelling citizens to comply with elements of religious law – also known as religious legislation – are globally pervasive. Previous research has well documented the incidence of myriad examples of religious legislation. These laws’ practical effect on citizens’ behavior, however, has been less examined. This article looks at the effect of one piece of religious legislation: state laws enforcing the Ramadan fast. It demonstrates that the use of state power to sanction violations of religious law significantly increases citizens’ compliance with this religious law.