The First Liberty: Rel

In this measured and fluently written essay, the author reviews the origin of the linked doctrines of religous liberty and church-state separation in American life by focusing on the contribution of three architects of these doctrines; Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Roger Williams. Miller is very successful in presenting these men without the anachronistic accretions of 19th and early 20th century historians and stresses the novel and indeed revolutionary character of religous liberty and church-state separation. He then follows with a nice analysis of how these doctrines shaped subsequent religous life in America. The doctrines of religous liberty and church-state separation appear as a benign influence on American religous practice, enabling the religious experimentation and enthusiasm that characterized much of the 19th century. Miller also provides a pithy and insightful characterization of the development of American Protestantism and a good history of 20th century legal battles over church-state separation. Miller's book, with its moderate tone and judicious examination of original sources, serves as a nice corrective to ideologues of the left and right on the subject of church-state separation. In Miller's analysis, the Founding Fathers did not frame the USA as a Christian (or even religous) polity nor did they expect the rigid prohibitions demanded by some of the more extreme contemporary proponents of church-state separation. Miller repeatedly calls for restraint and wisdom in addressing these difficult issues and his book exemplifies these qualities.