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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. This book offers an engaging, accessible, and balanced treatment of religion in American politics. It explores the historical, cultural, and legal contexts that motivate religious political engagement and assesses the pragmatic and strategic political realities that religious organizations and people face. Incorporating the best and most current scholarship, the authors examine the evolving politics of Roman Catholics; evangelical and mainline Protestants; African-American and Latino traditions; Jews, Muslims, and other religious minorities; recent immigrants and religious "nones"; and other conventional and not-so-conventional American religious movements.
New to the Sixth Edition
• Covers the 2016 election and assesses the role of religion from Obama to Trump.
• Expands substantially on religion’s relationship to gender and sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class, and features the role of social media in religious mobilization.
• Adds discussion questions at the end of every chapter, to help students gain deeper understanding of the subject.
• Adds a new concluding chapter on the normative issues raised by religious political engagement, to stimulate lively discussions.
New to the Sixth Edition
• Covers the 2016 election and assesses the role of religion from Obama to Trump.
• Expands substantially on religion’s relationship to gender and sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class, and features the role of social media in religious mobilization.
• Adds discussion questions at the end of every chapter, to help students gain deeper understanding of the subject.
• Adds a new concluding chapter on the normative issues raised by religious political engagement, to stimulate lively discussions.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2018
5 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 25, 2023
Readable, engaging. Can’t wait to see what Ben does with it.
May 29, 2025
This is a survey of how religion, a strong force in American society, interacts with government and politics in our country. It is broken down in chapters that look at specific aspect of the issue. It comes across as a little disjointed at times, but that reflects the nature of the topic more than anything about the authors. It wasn't the easiest read, but it was well-researched and informative. The biggest drawback, which is common to any political book, is that it is seven years old as I am reading it and a lot has happened in that time, including an increased conservative majority on the Supreme Court and the overturning of Row v. Wade. I have started to look for the authors' thoughts on current issues online because I appreciate the way they analyze the situation. I recommend the book to those who are really interested in religion and politics in America. I have not read another book that takes this broad a look at it.
Themes:
1. Religion remains a vital force in American politics. Despite rising secularism and religious pluralism, religion continues to play a powerful and enduring role in shaping political identities, voter behavior, and public debates. The book emphasizes that religion is not fading from the political scene but is evolving in form and influence.
2. Religious influence in U.S. politics is not monolithic. Various religious traditions—Evangelicals, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, mainline Protestants, and increasingly the non-religious—bring different values, priorities, and political strategies to the public square. This diversity complicates the ideas of “religious vs. secular” or “right vs. left.”
3. The legal landscape shapes religious activism. Judicial decisions, particularly from SCOTUS, have had a profound impact on defining the boundaries of religious expression in public life. A lot of issues (school prayer, religious displays, and funding of faith-based initiatives) have been settled in the courts rather than in the legislature.
4. The relationship between religion and partisanship is complex. While white Evangelicals are strongly aligned with the Republican Party, other religious groups, such as Black Protestants and many Jews, lean Democratic. However, these alignments are not static and can shift due to generational change, theological reinterpretation, or political developments.
5. Religion is deeply entangled with America’s most polarizing issues—abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, education, and healthcare. These issues often mobilize religious groups on both sides of the political spectrum, contributing to broader political polarization.
5. Demographic shifts (rise of the “nones,” increasing racial and ethnic diversity) and institutional changes will reshape how religion influences politics. While traditional alignments may weaken, new forms of engagement—especially issue-based or values-driven coalitions—will likely emerge.
Themes:
1. Religion remains a vital force in American politics. Despite rising secularism and religious pluralism, religion continues to play a powerful and enduring role in shaping political identities, voter behavior, and public debates. The book emphasizes that religion is not fading from the political scene but is evolving in form and influence.
2. Religious influence in U.S. politics is not monolithic. Various religious traditions—Evangelicals, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, mainline Protestants, and increasingly the non-religious—bring different values, priorities, and political strategies to the public square. This diversity complicates the ideas of “religious vs. secular” or “right vs. left.”
3. The legal landscape shapes religious activism. Judicial decisions, particularly from SCOTUS, have had a profound impact on defining the boundaries of religious expression in public life. A lot of issues (school prayer, religious displays, and funding of faith-based initiatives) have been settled in the courts rather than in the legislature.
4. The relationship between religion and partisanship is complex. While white Evangelicals are strongly aligned with the Republican Party, other religious groups, such as Black Protestants and many Jews, lean Democratic. However, these alignments are not static and can shift due to generational change, theological reinterpretation, or political developments.
5. Religion is deeply entangled with America’s most polarizing issues—abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, education, and healthcare. These issues often mobilize religious groups on both sides of the political spectrum, contributing to broader political polarization.
5. Demographic shifts (rise of the “nones,” increasing racial and ethnic diversity) and institutional changes will reshape how religion influences politics. While traditional alignments may weaken, new forms of engagement—especially issue-based or values-driven coalitions—will likely emerge.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews