Who We Are
How this program can deepen the conversation around what it means to be an American - and to be Jewish - in the 21st century.
American Scripture Project applies the spirituality of Jewish Torah study, or parshanut - the careful dissection and investigation of text with love - to foundational American documents. Calling a text “Scripture” separates it from its mundane purpose and elevates it to a source of moral guidance (even if we gain wisdom from it through disagreement). Exploring American scriptures from throughout our nation’s history fosters the democratic values of dignity, respect, courage, openness, compassion, and justice.
Growing polarization in our varied communities – our families, workplaces, houses of worship, and local, regional, and national governmental and nongovernmental institutions – threatens to tear us apart. America’s culture of pluralism is losing ground to a rhetorical toxicity that separates families, sows distrust within and between communities, and poisons our belief in institutions. This toxicity emerges out of a spiritual brokenness – a deep loneliness, an unmet spiritual desire to belong – rather than any intellectual or moral difference about policy or politics.
American Scripture Project rests upon the thick cultures and interlocking relationships of congregational life. Our theory of change is that when enough American clergy introduce the practice of exploring our national narratives spiritually with their congregations, this practice will help drain our political spaces of anxiety, contempt, resentment, and cynicism; and spur us us to wrestle with, understand, question, strengthen, and/or rewrite these narratives. Therefore, this is less a set curriculum or static collection of resources than an on-ramp to a methodology. Clergy-facilitators who subscribe will receive course materials and learning guides, along with training materials on how to apply the ASP text study method to non-Jewish texts and how to orient sessions around spiritual growth and meaningful dialogue. We observe that after approximately three sessions, colleagues begin to adapt the sessions to their style in response to what works best in their congregations.
American Scripture Project does not claim to be, nor is it designed to be, a history or literature course. The text is secondary to the goal of this program: to experience deep exploration of big American ideas in a respectful, courageous, and honest environment, even when discussing contentious issues. The potential library of American scripture is vast. The texts for this program are selected using the following criteria:
Incorporate the fundamental American narrative ideas of liberty, equality, exceptionalism, and justice.
Attempt to represent both normative and marginal voices from our national history.
Demonstrate the varied ways that narrative can be used to inspire citizens.
Reach far enough back into American history to avoid arguments about current events.
Looking at how these texts challenge our biases creates a psychic and spiritual tension; American Scripture Project’s technique grows out of that tension, and from it generates deeper, richer, new, stronger ways to see our patriotism.