Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Open Hearts, Closed Doors: Immigration Reform and the Waning of Mainline Protestantism

Open Hearts, Closed Doors: Immigration Reform and the Waning of Mainline Protestantism

Pruitt, Nicholas T.

Hardcover

Religion General General ChristianityImmigration & Refugees

ISBN10: 1479803545
ISBN13: 9781479803545
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: Jun 22 2021
Pages: 296
Weight: 1.28
Height: 1.40 Width: 6.10 Depth: 9.10
Language: English

A history of mainline Protestant responses to immigrants and refugees during the twentieth century

Open Hearts, Closed Doors uncovers the largely overlooked role that liberal Protestants played in fostering cultural diversity in America and pushing for new immigration laws during the forty years following the passage of the restrictive Immigration Act of 1924. These efforts resulted in the complete reshaping of the US cultural and religious landscape.

During this period, mainline Protestants contributed to the national debate over immigration policy and joined the charge for immigration reform, advocating for a more diverse pool of newcomers. They were successful in their efforts, and in 1965 the quota system based on race and national origin was abolished. But their activism had unintended consequences, because the liberal immigration policies they supported helped to end over three centuries of white Protestant dominance in American society.

Yet, Pruitt argues, in losing their cultural supremacy, mainline Protestants were able to reassess their mission. They rolled back more strident forms of xenophobia, substantively altering the face of mainline Protestantism and laying foundations for their responses to today's immigration debates. More than just a historical portrait, this volume is a timely reminder of the power of religious influence in political matters.

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