By Nicolas Shump, Topeka Capital-Journal, October 21, 2006

22 Oct 2006 // More than 45 years ago, Dec. 12, 1960, to be precise, John Courtney Murray appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Murray was a Catholic priest and member of the Jesuit religious order. He also was the author of "We Hold These Truths: Catholic Reflections on the American Proposition." The banner heading on the cover read "U.S. Catholics and the State."

This particular issue ran only a few months after the election of the first Roman Catholic president, John F. Kennedy. During that election, Kennedy's religious affiliation was of much greater concern than that of his opponent, Richard Nixon. However, Murray was concerned with the possible dangers to Catholicism. He wrote, "The question is not whether Catholicism is safe for democracy, but whether democracy is safe for Catholicism."

I believe that our present political climate is even more preoccupied with questions of the relationship between church and state than it was in the aftermath of President Kennedy's election. Several recent books have addressed the recent confluence of religion and politics in the United States.

Jim Wallis' 2005 book, "God's Politics - Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It: A New Vision for Faith and Politics in America," reminded liberals of their own legacy of faith. According to Wallis, "Many of us feel that our faith has been stolen and it's time to take it back."

On the other end of the spectrum is Sam Harris' new book, "Letter to a Christian Nation." In this book, Harris addresses the beliefs of evangelical and fundamentalist Christians.

Harris is greatly concerned with the influence that these Christians have over the political and cultural landscape of America. Though Harris and Wallis wouldn't agree on many issues, both acknowledge the increasing role that religion plays in our political system.

Closer to home is the recent controversy surrounding the campaign of Attorney General Phill Kline. Stories in this past week's Topeka Capital-Journal recount the resignation of former Attorney General Bob Stephan from Kline's campaign as well as the request by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics for an IRS investigation into Kline's fundraising practices.

The tenuous coexistence of religion and politics preceded the founding of our country. The Puritans came to America to escape religious persecution in England. At the same time, they came with a missionary zeal that drove them to speak of this "wilderness" as a "New Zion and New Jerusalem."

Moreover, the Massachusetts Bay Colony wasn't afraid to banish religious dissenters like Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams. Meanwhile, Spanish settlers in what would become the American Southwest were establishing Christian communities in New Mexico, California and Texas. From the beginning of this nation, religion has played a significant role in society and politics.

However, this role is balanced with the paradoxical acknowledgement that religious freedom can mean freedom from religion, too. As Father Murray wrote, "We hold certain truths: therefore we can argue about them."

Nicolas Shump is a doctoral student in American studies at The University of Kansas. He can be reached at Nico1225@sunflower.com.