Table of Contents

Preface Introduction 1. American Religion as Commodity Culture 2. Civil Society and Immigrants 3. New Immigrants as Pariahs 4. Religious Options for Urban Immigrants 5. Reimagining Religious Pluralism Conclusion Notes Selected Bibliography Index

Promotional Information

As a result of immigration from Asia in the wake of the passage of the 1965 Hart-Celler Immigration Act, the fastest-growing religions in America-faster than all Christian groups combined-are Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Now a leading scholar asks how these new faiths have changed or have been changed by the pluralist face of American civil society and by the deep-rooted American ambivalence toward foreign traditions.

About the Author

Bruce B. Lawrence is the Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Professor of Religion and chair of the department of religion at Duke University. He is the author of many books including Defenders of God. The Fundamentalist Revolt Against the Modern Age. He lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Lawrence] speaks at length on the social, political, and religious tensions within American culture today... recommended. Choice Bruce Lawrence concludes his thought-provoking essay with a powerful critique of multicultural approaches that ignore divergencies within religious traditions... -- Malise Ruthven Times Literary Supplement a compelling, informed critique and analysis that should provoke citizens to a finer citizenship -- James L. Peacock Journal of the American Academy of Religion an inventive and timely exploration of contemporary American religion, politics, and culture, and exploration that will surely stimulate further research and discussion -- Karen Leonard History of Religions This book not only fills in some key theoretical gaps, but also offers new and hopeful models for conceiving of American diversity. American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences