Abstract
The New York Times is widely recognized as one of the world’s most important newspapers. It should be no surprise that many of its articles are worth considering in an introductory study of particular topics. This book is a collection of 51 New York Times articles on the topic of Religious Freedom that has been curated by the editorial staff of the newspaper itself. The collection is aimed at US middle and high school students. The collection is arranged into five broad chapters: History of Religious Liberty, Effects of Religion on Laws, Freedom for Different Groups and Sects, Separation of Church and State and Twenty First Century Issues. The various articles were first published between 1864 and 2018, with the collection being heavily weighted towards articles that are more than 100 years old.
The strong presence of the older material makes the volume interesting from a historical perspective, although it is undoubtedly directed at an American audience and I wonder how useful it would be in a classroom outside of the United States. The whole theme of religious freedom was a constitutive element in the identity of the United States and the cultural context of how religion influenced society and law in respect of the ‘Blue laws,’ or laws regarding activities that take place on Sundays and laws relating to the sale of alcohol. The role of particular sects, such as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are also treated, as are certain articles relating to the Catholic Church and, in the more recent articles, on the place of Islam in American and world society.
I can imagine the volume being read by those interested in these questions and, in particular, how they have been treated in the American context. I can also see it being used with profit in a United States school, which is its target audience. However, I would not see it as being particularly useful in a second or third level classroom outside of the United States. The general reader may find this collection interesting, especially those who enjoy reading occasional articles from the ‘Gray Lady.’ Personally, I enjoyed many of the articles from the 19th century. But I wonder if a collection with more of an emphasis on modern articles might be of more use in an international context.
The volume is printed on high quality paper and is an attractive volume. The individual articles are arranged in a user-friendly manner that are easily accessible to students. It also contains helpful introductory sections to each chapter as well a glossary, a table of media literacy terms, a series of media literacy questions for further reflection and an index.