A New Religious America: How a “Christian Country” Has Become the World’s Most Religiously Diverse Nation

This book is in some respects interesting, but suffers from two major flaws, one methodological & one theological. Diana Eck is a professor of religion at Harvard. Her thesis is that America not only is a highly pluralistic country in terms of religion, but that this is a good thing & should be celebrated rather than deplored. The two flaws: the first is that the evidence, such as it is, for her thesis is purely anecdotal. Eck has traveled all over the country, visited many shrines, temples, mosques, etc. & attended numerous festivals & religious conferences of every conceivable descriptiion. She met hundreds of lovely people whom you would be happy to have for your neighbors. But that’s the problem — everyone & every religion is too lovely. All are benign. No one dislikes let alone hates America. Not only are they lovely; they’re all patriotic & thrilled to be here. She never acknowledges the existence of anti-Americanism, anti-westernism, anti-Christianity, or anti-Judaism, let alone analyses how to respond to these attitudes. All immigrants & all religions to her are, by definition, wonderful, & should be unquestioingly welcomed to our shores. Even her addendum to the paperback edition, written after 9/11, refuses to acknowledge any problems. The second flaw in her argument is that from a theological viewpoint — & she does identify herself as a Christian, albeit a very liberal one to be sure — she refuses to acknowledge, let alone grapple with, the concept that all these conflicting truth claims cannot possibly be true. Eck never met a religion she didn’t like or a practice she disapproves of. There’s no judgment here at all — not even common sense. While she (rightly) approves of freedom of religion in the civil sphere, she confuses this with assessment of truth claims in the theological sphere, & seems to suggest that all religions are equally valid. That view in itself is a particular theological stance, but she never identifies it as such but implies that it is an unquestioned given & that, consequently, we should all not just accept, but celebrate, all religions whatsoever. In short, an example of pluralism gone berserk.
Rating: 2 / 5