The Three Theologies of Murray v. Curlett: Atheism, Constitutionalism, and Christianity in American Postwar Culture
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Authors
Aiello, Thomas
Issue Date
2024
Volume
25
Issue
Type
Journal Article
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Keywords
Madalyn Murray , Atheism , Supreme Court , Education , Race , Communism
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Abstract
Murray v. Curlett, decided in conjunction with School District of Abington Township v. Schempp, removed the Lord’s Prayer and Bible reading from public schools in 1963. The prevailing national discourse that emerged during the following school year represented a relatively united organization against the ruling, based primarily on moral, rather than legal, grounds. The Supreme Court’s verdict became a target of public outrage, the narrative opposing the Court’s Murray decision creating its own theology, one that tied religious faith to a civic and patriotic idealism disconnected from the teachings of the leader in whose name they so often prayed. In the process, pundits posed American constitutionalism as its own form of theological dogma, one with similar flawed readings of the text upon which the improvised faith tradition was based. Those dogmas were posed against atheism, presented as its own theology, one that also came incumbent with a secular governmental corollary in the form of communism. The battle between atheism, constitutionalism, and Christianity would shape the narrative that would continue to influence public opinion and policy through the rest of the century.
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Publisher
Rabbi Myer and Dorothy Kripke Center, Creighton University
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ISSN
1941-8450