Keeping the Faith: A Cultural History of the U. S. Supreme Court

This ambitious and accessible history of the nation's highest court contains information important for every American to know. Widely published historian John E. Semonche demonstrates that the fabric of American constitutional law promotes in citizens a 'civil religion, ' or a faith in the laws and institutions of government that is unique to this country. Semonche supports his arguments by analyzing the Court's controversies, members, and decisions from its creation to the present. He concludes that, aside from its judicial responsibilities, the Supreme Court plays an equally crucial role in the creation, definition, and maintenance of a culture tolerant of a diverse and pluralistic polity. Everyone interested in the past, present, and future of this essential American institution should read this book

Author: John E. Semonche
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 07/19/2000
Pages: 512
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.41lbs
Size: 8.95h x 5.86w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780847689866

Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 02/01/2001 pg. 143

About the Author
John E. Semonche is professor of history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is the author of Religion and Constitutional Government in the United States, Charting the Future: The Supreme Court Responds to a Changing Society, 1890-1920, and Ray Stannard Baker: A Quest for Democracy in Modern America, 1870-1918. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.