Bible and American Culture

From political speeches to pop songs, the biblical presence in American culture is hard to ignore. This sourcebook gathers and contextualizes a remarkable series of primary texts to illuminate the varied uses of the Bible in American life. Topics covered include the publication and distribution of the Bible, the use of the Bible in debates over slavery, homosexuality, feminism and civil rights, and biblical sources in works of art, music, poetry and fiction. The book provides a clear understanding of the centrality and influence of the Bible from the period of the first European settlers to the present day. It is invaluable for students taking courses on religion and American culture, and on the history of religion in the United States.

"No book in American history has had a greater historical or cultural impact than the Bible. Yet not until Setzer and Shefferman’s splendid anthology has the Bible’s wide influence been sampled in a handy, one-volume collection. This reader is a treasure for all who seek a deeper understanding of the American religious experience."– Peter J. Thuesen, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, USA"The interplay between biblical text and American religiosity is on full display in this valuable collection of primary sources. Setzer and Shefferman have put together a diverse and thoughtful range of sources that demonstrate the unique place of the Bible in American culture from the days of the Puritans to the modern and post-modern worlds of biblical interpretation. This is precisely the kind of sourcebook that will well serve both students of the Bible and students of American religion and culture. Highly recommended." – Jeffrey S. Siker, Loyola Marymount University, USA"There are documents here to satisfy both the traditionalists and those who want to teach their American religion courses in a more diverse way. I will definitely return to this book over and over again." – John Fea, The Way of Improvement Leads Home "That the Bible has exercised enormous influence in American history and culture is beyond dispute. The excellent collection of materials included in the anthology entitled The Bible and American Culture (Routledge), edited by Claudia Setzer and David A. Shefferman […] documents that fact very nicely. Their fine anthology both informs and entertains." – Daniel J. Harrington, America "It should be used as a sourcebook rather than read cover-to-cover, but – and this is barely an exaggeration – it should be shared with all Americans, of all ages, who are involved in searching for particular biblical references, Jewish and Christian, that appear in American life and culture."– Conservative Judaism

Claudia Setzer is Professor of Religious Studies at Manhattan College, USADavid Shefferman is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Manhattan College, USA