Dean M. Kelley (June 1, 1926 – May 11, 1997) was an American legal scholar,
religious freedom advocate,
author, and executive with the
National Council of Churches (NCC), where his work was mainly concerned with
religious liberty issues.
He also served on the board of the
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Kelley opposed a constitutional amendment allowing organized prayer in public schools, doubting that anyone, no matter how well-intentioned, was capable of writing prayers that would be acceptable to everyone and still be meaningful.
His 1972 book, ''Why Conservative Churches are Growing'', is said by the ''Encyclopedia of Religion in American Politics'' to be seminal in the study of the relationship of religion and politics in the United States.
In ''Why Conservative Churches are Growing'', Kelley pointed out what he saw as the essential difference between liberal and conservative churches: conservative churches concentrated on spiritual needs, liberal churches on political causes, which causes were better promoted by political organizations such as the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
and the
Americans for Democratic Action. He also predicted the ongoing decline of the liberal churches, based on his extensive research, and his conclusions earned him widespread opprobrium on the Left. The work contains a strong implied warning to those pastors on the right who would politicize their churches.
His 1977 study, ''Why Churches Should Not Pay Taxes'', is considered "essential reading" for those who support tax exemptions for religious organizations, according to James Dunn, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs.
Strongly supporting the
separation of church and state,
he has said that the best thing government can do to help religion is "leave it alone."
Biography
Dean Kelley was born on June 1, 1926 in
Cheyenne, Wyoming.
He graduated from
University of Denver in 1946 and from the
Iliff School of Theology, where he received a master's degree in
theology, in 1949. In 1946 he married the former Maryon Hoyle. He worked as a minister for
United Methodist churches in Colorado and New York until 1960, when he joined the NCC.
school prayer
School prayer, in the context of religious liberty, is state-sanctioned or mandatory prayer by students in public schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, state-sponsored prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited. Countries ...
.[''The fourth R: conflicts over religion in America's public schools'', Joan DelFattore, Yale University Press, 2004 pages 115-116] He died on May 11, 1997 in West Swanzey, New Hampshire.[
]
Bibliography
*''Why Conservative Churches Are Growing'', Harper & Row, 1972, ASIN: B00268XMJU
*''Why Churches Should Not Pay Taxes'', Harper & Row, 1977,
*''Government Intervention in Religious Affairs'', Pilgrim Press
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximatel ...
, 1982,
''Law of Church and State in America''
Kelley's final work, published online by the First Amendment Center.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelley, Dean M.
1926 births
1997 deaths
People from Cheyenne, Wyoming
University of Denver alumni
American United Methodists
People from Cheshire County, New Hampshire
20th-century Methodists