Godless Citizens in a Godly Republic: Atheists in American Public Life

Emeritus professors Kramnick and Moore (government, Cornell Univ.; The Godless Constitution) here shed light upon the growing tension between the increasing number of Americans with no religious affiliation (nearly 25 percent of adults, and an even greater percentage of millennials) and the historic stigmatization of nonbelievers as second-class citizens. The authors argue that previous reasons used for denouncing the irreligious simply do not make sense anymore and need to be challenged in the name of religious liberty. The first half of the book provides a historical overview of subjects such as the ostracism of Thomas Paine, the frequent omission of the irreligious background of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and attempts to create a secular alternative to religion by Jane Addams and others. The second half focuses on 20th-century issues such as the Pledge of Allegiance, state constitutions, and key court cases. The work concludes with a look at the recent "Atheist Awakening" and the various political, legal, and promotional strategies that have been attempted.