The Broken Covenant: American Civil Religion in Time of Trial

This Second Edition represents Bellah’s summation of his views on civil religion in America. In his 1967 classic essay “Civil Rights in America,” Bellah argued that the religious dimensions of American society–as distinct from its churches–has its own integrity and required “the same care in understanding that any religion.” This edition includes his 1978 article “Religion and the Legitimation of the American Republic,” and a new Preface.