The one constant, as seen in Allitt’s book, regarding the expansion and growth of American religion, especially Christianity, was the existence of national turmoil. In other words, through times of turmoil, did religion expand and gain tremendous influence. For instance, in the aftermath of the Second World War and the pending Cold War, the Red Scare of Communism prompted deep religious expressions, which were hurried along by a devoutly Christian president Dwight Eisenhower (31-32). Later on, the New Left movement in the 1960s coupled with Roe v. Wade in 1973 prompted the creation of the Christian Right to reverse the national trends. Thus, religious history of the United States can best be understood as a series of trends that develop when the chaos and turmoil mark the national sentiment.
Historically speaking, this has always been the case from the days of antiquity. For instance, when the Western Roman Empire fell in AD 476, the Catholic Church assumed both spiritual and temporal power to unite western Europe and guide it through the Dark Ages. Thus, religion often fills the void left from chaos and disorder.
Granted, in the United States, there was no clergical takeover of the political establishments; however, no one can deny that the increased influence of the Religious Right on politics was tied to the New Left and Roe v. Wade social liberalization movements, which created significant social uproar between generations of Americans. But then again, there exists the ultimate question: Why is religion uniquely experienced in America than say Latin America or western Europe?
Nathan Hatch’s “The Democratization of American Christianity” provides the best explanation. The separation of church and state enabled the sphere of the church to expand on its own terms, not on the terms of the state. This feature does not exist anywhere else in the world. That is how the American experience with religion is the most beneficial for all.