American Constitutional Faith and the Politics of Hermeneutics
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Date
2019-07-16
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Citation of Original Publication
Lewis, A., Blake, W., Mockabee, S., & Friesen, A. (2020). American Constitutional Faith and the Politics of Hermeneutics. Politics and Religion, 13(1), 57-88. doi:10.1017/S175504831900021X
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© Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2019
This is an original manuscript / preprint of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Justice System Journal on 02 Feb 2018, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/0098261X.2017.1385431.
© Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2019
This is an original manuscript / preprint of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Justice System Journal on 02 Feb 2018, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/0098261X.2017.1385431.
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Abstract
As more debates in American politics become constitutional questions, effective citizens must engage in constitutional interpretation. While most Americans venerate the Constitution as a part of a national, civil religion, levels of constitutional knowledge are also very low. In this paper, we analyze how ordinary Americans approach the task of constitutional interpretation. An analysis of two cross-sectional surveys indicates constitutional hermeneutics are a product of both political factors, denominational affiliation, and biblical interpretive preferences. We also present the results of a survey experiment where the manipulation of a clergy’s interpretation of a biblical passage affects how respondents interpret both scripture and the Constitution, providing a causal mechanism for learning how to engage in hermeneutics.