ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses Judaism and Islam, both of which present major alternatives to Christianity in American public life, in terms of their size and public exposure. Jews have lived in the United States since before the founding of the nation, and many have carved out a highly successful niche in American society. The chapter focuses on Mormons, a distinctive, thriving, and uniquely American Christian tradition. It explores small religious traditions that maintain a clear separation from mainstream politics and culture. The chapter examines non-separatist religious traditions that engage the broader culture, and discusses secularism. The tradition of the Hasidim mostly has been one of political withdrawal from larger, usually Christian, societies. Several small religious traditions in the United States take a distinctly separatist orientation toward the broader culture. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, whose members are called Mormons, seems to belie the general tendency for small religious traditions to have only modest political effectiveness.
