Review: Out of Many Faiths by Eboo Patel

Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise 

Eboo Patel

"America's promise is to guarantee equal rights for all identities. This framework of rights facilitates the contributions of these many communities to this single country. That is America's genius. The idea is simple: people whose nation gives them dignity will build up that society."

This is one of the themes behind Eboo Patel's OUT OF MANY FAITHS.

It is a powerful premise. It is also extremely complicated.

Patel continues on from the quote above: "When we say we are an immigrant nation, we mean more than just that various religious and ethnic groups settled here in America, bringing with them their Hebrew prayers and Hindu chants. We are recognizing the fact that the institutions they built benefited not just their own communities but also the common good of this country. The space between Jewish and American or Christian and American is not a barrier; it's a bridge."

Patel explores the development of the phrase "Judeo-Christian," and the roots of religious diversity in America - starting with Benjamin Franklin and George Washington's actively reaching out to include all faiths.

Overall Patel's book is thoughtful and deep.

As an added bonus three authors offer their own takes on Patel's work.

One (written by Robert Jones) includes a wonderful example of the challenge of pluralism in today's increasingly diverse America. "In my family's dining room is an antique table from the 1940s with six chairs. But one of the chairs is constructed differently from the rest. It is broader than the other chairs, and it is the only one with armrests. Sometimes called the 'captain's chair,' it was designed for the head of the table. Historically, that chair was meant to architecturally reinforce hierarchical family relationships, with the father occupying that throne-like seat, from which he could control the flow of the meal and the topics of conversation.

"If we imagine America gathered around a dining room table, until very recently, white Christians, and particularly white Protestants, felt like they owned the table and were entitled to the patriarch's position. Others might be invited to pull up a chair, either as subordinate family members or as guests, but the power relationships and expectations were understood by all. If we are going to make progress toward fulfilling our nation's promise of religious liberty for all, we have to be clear about the problem. The chief impediment for pluralism today is not that we have run out of chairs. Rather, it is that many white Christians have been reluctant to relinquish the privileged seat of power."

The wonderful thing about Eboo Patel's book is that there is a strong thread of hope for the future that runs through it. Especially when the waves of civil discourse seem to be increasingly choppy, we need such hope!

For more information on Eboo Patel click here.

it was amazin