ABSTRACT
The culture of America is measured to a great extent by its diversity. The thesis of this book is that the transformation of diversity into pluralism is a religious phenomenon that serves as a prevailing factor in the development of American culture. Pluralism denotes the acceptance of diversity; and this acceptance, as observed, always works within some perception of ultimate order and meaning not confined to traditional religions. Religious studies is a relatively new academic discipline, and the communities of higher education are still surprisingly ignorant of the nature of the enterprise. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries there were signs that diversity of opinion and practice was leading to varied degrees of conflict, even to schism and separation. The radicalism of religious diversity is a fact of contemporary life and may well become the most significant feature in the development of society and culture in the twenty-first century.
