The book, which has been controversial in the two-plus decades since it emerged, comes from an interesting
place. Its emphasis is clear from the full title: The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize
Religious Devotion(I will upload the book, here is a video about "The Culture of Disbelief," showing an interview
with Stephen L. Carter, author of a well-known book of the same name that was first published in
1994.:https://www.pbs.org/video/the-open-mind-the-culture-of-disbelief-americas-culture-of-disbelief/). Carter is
a law professor at Yale, and has since 2002 had an interesting second career as a novelist. (He also has his
own website at http://www.stephencarterbooks.com/.) In Culture of Disbelief, Carter identifies as a believer “in
the importance of both religious tradition and liberal dialogue", at once a committed Christian (an Episcopalian)
and a firm supporter of the separation of church and state. His target in the book and the interview is a system
of justice that upholds a casual public secularism", disrespecting religious belief and viewing religion as a "hobby" rather than central to the lives of its believers. His arguments lead in multiple directions: he advocates giving religious groups more room to participate in the welfare state (allowing proven church drug rehabilitation programs, for example, to compete for public money); he does, however, disagree with organized prayer in public schools on the grounds that it privilegesthe interests of one religious tradition over another."
For this assignment, I'd like you to take up any aspect of Carter's arguments you wish, and use it to explore
one of the essays we've already read (Turner, Warner, Asma, Krauss(I will upload as a folder)). What does
Does Carter illuminate? Where does he fail to meet some challenge or question? Yes, this is very open-ended -
we're still in low-stakes mode! Make sure you use a brief quotation - which is all you'll have room for because I'd
like you to make this a short paper. Please use your own word!!!! （Just let you know I have no religion, you
can use that if need to point out in this essay）
Sample Solution