9780813344362

Religion and politics are never far from the headlines, but their relationship remains complex and often confusing.Religion and Politics in Americaoffers a lively, accessible, and balanced treatment of religion in American politics. The authors explore the historical, cultural, and legal contexts that underlie religious political engagement while also highlighting the pragmatic and strategic political realities that religious organizations and people face today. Incorporating up-to-date scholarship and analysis of voting behavior through the 2008 elections, the fourth edition assesses the politics of conventional and not-so-conventional American religious movements. Features include contemporary case studies, useful focus-study boxes, and timely discussions of Islam, Latinos, international affairs, and political culture. Contents Introduction 1. Religion and Political Culture in America: The Historical Legacy 2. Christianity and Its Major Branches 3. Judaism, Islam, and Other Expressions of Religious Pluralism 4. Voting and Religion in American Politics 5. The Politics of Organized Religious Groups 6. Religion and Political Elites 7. Religion, Civil Society, and Political Culture 8. Religious Politics and the Legal System 9. Church and State in the Courts 10. Latino and African American Religion and Politics 11. Gender, Religion, and Politics 12. Theories of Religion, Culture, and American Politics Appendix: Selected Web Sites on Religion and Politic

Robert Booth Fowler is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. An award-winning teacher, he is the author of numerous books, including Enduring Liberalism: American Political Thought since the 1960s, The Dance with Community, and Wisconsin Votes.

Allen D. Hertzke is Presidential Professor of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma. He is the author of several books on religion and politics, most recently Freeing God’s Children: The Unlikely Alliance for Global Human Rights.

Laura R. Olson is professor of political science at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. She is author, coauthor, or coeditor of nine books, including Religious Interests in Community Conflict and Christian Clergy in American Politics.

Kevin R. den Dulk is associate professor of political science and Honors Faculty Fellow at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. He is the coauthor of Pews, Prayers, and Participation and The God Gap?: Religion in the 2008 Election.

List of Illustrations	p. xiii
Preface	p. xv
Religion and Political Culture in America: The Historical Legacy	p. 1
The Puritan Temper	p. 1
Religious Freedom and Pluralism	p. 4
The Evangelical Dimension	p. 10
The Populist Dimension	p. 16
Conclusion	p. 19
Further Reading	p. 19
Notes	p. 20
Christianity and its Major Branches	p. 25
The Status of Religion in the United States	p. 25
The Major Christian Traditions and Politics	p. 31
Conclusion	p. 44
Further Reading	p. 45
Notes	p. 46
Judaism, Islam, and Other Expressions of Religious Pluralism	p. 53
Major Non-Christian Religions	p. 54
Separatist Religions	p. 61
Other Small Religions	p. 64
A Comparative Case Study: Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses	p. 66
Political Assessments	p. 69
Further Reading	p. 71
Notes	p. 72
Voting and Religion in American Politics	p. 77
A Historical Review	p. 77
The Postindustrial Era	p. 81
Conclusion	p. 111
Further Reading	p. 112
Notes	p. 112
The Politics of Organized Religious Groups	p. 119
The Evolution of National Religious Lobbies	p. 120
Strategies for Effective Advocacy	p. 122
The Legislative Process, Compromise, and Coalition Building	p. 127
A Model of Religious Group Effectiveness	p. 129
Progressive Protestant Groups	p. 133
Roman Catholic Groups	p. 135
Jewish Groups	p. 138
Evangelical Protestant Groups	p. 141
Muslim Groups	p. 144
The Politics of Religious Minorities	p. 146
The Globalization of Religious Advocacy	p. 147
Religious Advocacy at the Statehouse	p. 153
Local-Level Advocacy	p. 155
Do Religious Groups Play a Distinctive Role in American Democracy?	p. 157
Conclusion	p. 158
Further Reading	p. 159
Notes	p. 160
Religion and Political and Cultural Elites	p. 169
Religion and the Presidency	p. 170
Religion and Congress	p. 178
Religion and Other Political Elites	p. 187
Religion and Cultural Elites	p. 189
Conclusion	p. 192
Further Reading	p. 193
Notes	p. 194
Religion, Civil Society, and Political Culture	p. 201
The Tension Between Religion and Political Culture	p. 202
Political Culture as a Context for Religious Participation	p. 206
Religion, Civil Society, and Good Citizenship	p. 208
Conclusion	p. 215
Further Reading	p. 216
Notes	p. 217
Religious Politics and the Legal System	p. 223
Judicial Politics	p. 224
Key Players	p. 277
Factors for Success	p. 231
The Politics of Church and State	p. 234
Conclusion	p. 240
Further Reading	p. 241
Notes	p. 241
Church and State in the Courts	p. 245
Religious Free Exercise	p. 246
The Limits of Free Exercise	p. 250
The Politics of Religious Establishment	p. 255
Equal Access: An Alternative Approach to Church and State	p. 263
Conclusion	p. 265
Further Reading	p. 267
Notes	p. 267
Latino and African American Religion and Politics	p. 269
The Changing Status of Latino Religion	p. 270
Latinos in Public Life	p. 273
African American Religion and Politics: Toward a Broader View	p. 276
History and Black Political Attitudes	p. 279
Connections Between Religion and Politics	p. 282
Islam in the African American Community	p. 284
Conclusion	p. 288
Further Reading	p. 289
Notes	p. 290
Gender, Religion, and Politics	p. 295
Gender and Religion in American Life	p. 295
Religious Women's Diverging Perspectives on American Politics	p. 297
The Politics of Women in the Pews	p. 306
The Politics of Women Clergy	p. 308
Conclusion	p. 310
Further Reading	p. 311
Notes	p. 312
Theories of Religion, Culture, and American Politics	p. 319
Culture Wars	p. 319
The Secularization Thesis	p. 323
The Culture Shift Thesis	p. 326
Civil Religion	p. 328
The Unconventional Partners Thesis	p. 330
Populism	p. 334
The Market Thesis, Religious Pluralism, and Politics	p. 336
Toward the Future	p. 337
Further Reading	p. 338
Notes	p. 338
Appendix: Internet Resources	p. 343
Index	p. 347
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Religion and Politics in America : Faith, Culture, and Strategic Choices

Religion and Politics in America : Faith, Culture, and Strategic Choices

0813344360

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Write a Review