On this Christmas day it is worth asking
why America is blessed with such important theologians. We have had
Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, Abraham Heschel and Martin Marty in recent years.
I believe in Social Thought, the recognition that worldviews are built on a few tent pole ideas, images and metaphors. America was built on four main populations that left England. The Puritans and Quakers to seek a new home to practice their extreme Protestant visions of Christianity. The Roman Catholics to escape the persecution of their religion in England and still remain English. Lastly, the male victims of primogenitor who only brought the old anti-papist Episcopalian Church with them.
For all the people who came to America, except the last (Virginians), leading a suitable religious life was central to their lives. Such a description of a nation doesn't describe any other group of humans except for Israel.
It is no surprise to me that important minds in America are still struggling with these religious and spiritual issues, still contributing to the pottage of religious thought and Americans are still debating the role of religion in our national life.
Thank you President elect Obama for inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration.
(Cognoscenti will recognize the image of Martin Buber.)