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

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.