Offers an examination of the relationship between public religion and American culture, from pre-colonial biblical and European sources to the early nineteenth century, to help readers explore the social and political forces that defined the concept of religious liberty and shaped American church-state relations.

This text provides students and scholars a rich collection of primary sources that illuminate the discussions and debates about religious liberty in the American founding era. This compilation of primary documents provides a thorough and balanced examination of the evolving relationship between public religion and American culture, from pre-colonial biblical and European sources to the early nineteenth century, to allow the reader to explore the social and political forces that defined the concept of religious liberty and shaped American church-state relations.