Can Mormonism Save American Democracy?
A Conversation with Jonathan Rauch and Terryl Givens
What happens to American democracy if Christianity is no longer able, or no longer willing, to perform the functions on which our constitutional order depends? In his provocative new book, Cross Purposes, the award-winning journalist Jonathan Rauch reckons candidly with both the shortcomings of secularism and the corrosion of Christianity. Thin Christianity, as Rauch calls the mainline church, has been unable to inspire and retain believers. Worse, a Church of Fear has distorted white evangelicalism in ways that violate the tenets of both Jesus and James Madison. What to do?
Surprisingly, given that Rauch is gay, Jewish, atheist and liberal, he finds powerful answers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has placed the Constitution at the heart of its spiritual teachings.
In particular, Rauch finds a great deal to admire about the political wisdom of Dallin H. Oaks and the recent legacy of compromise and peacemaking in Utah.
Further Reading
How to Make Sense of the World: The Case for Reading the News
Mormon Women for Ethical Government: Looking Back and Pressing Forward
READ THE ESSAY
How Latter-day Saints Can Save American Democracy
In November 2021, an elderly man, thin and with a dignified demeanor leavened by an impish smile, traveled from Salt Lake City to the University of Virginia with an urgent message. Wasting little time on pleasantries, he launched straight into his theme. “I love this country, which I believe was established with the blessings of God. I love its Constitu…