Robert Laurence Moore has written a delightful, illuminating, and provocative survey of the history of the American church centered on the theme of "mixing" the "sacred" with the "secular" and vice versa. Key talking points covered include the polarization caused by the public display of religious symbols, the important contributions that women and Africans have made to America's religious mosaic, the harmony and friction that has existed between science and religion, the impact of immigration on the economy, religious pluralism and the double push towards the union and separation between religion and politics. Moore investigates Americans' attitudes, behavior, and perceptions of their individual sacred and secular lives. He is interested in the role of popular culture and religion and, further, in how popular culture has influenced the shifting boundaries between sacredness and secularism, particularly how these practices shape American religion. We live in a complex society and a structured social structure with norms and values ​​that themselves structure how we interpret and interact with others. Moore does not devote much of his attention to religious ideas. Instead, he examines several examples of the blending of the sacred and the profane in American popular culture. Moore chronicles the direct and indirect effects of public display of religion for both the sacred and the secular. History, lifestyle, work, education, government, music, sporting events, market, literature and femininity influence people. It also highlights how religion can influence racial militancy and terrorism that threaten equality, homeland security, and national identity. Religion and prayers adapt differently and sp...... center of card ...... during the holiday season. No imaginable Supreme Court will create obstacles for this consumer giant. Nor is any Jewish or Islamic group likely to fund a test case to bring down Christmas. They too are merchants" (p. 28-29). I like that Moore does not hesitate to express thoughtful criticism of the church's claims and the undemocratic ways in which Protestants have sometimes attempted to dominate American society. His commentary stimulates constructive discussions about what should and should not be the correct role of Christianity, especially Protestantism, in a religiously pluralistic culture that has constitutional guarantees for religious freedom and the separation of church and state Works Cited Moore, R. Laurence Touchdown Jesus : The Mixing of Sacred and Secular in American History Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2003. Print.