Religion and the Culture Wars: Dispatches from the Front

by John C. Green, James L. Guth, Corwin E. Smidt Calvin College, Lyman A. Kellstedt

Overview

As the 20th Century draws to a close, cultural conflict plays an increasingly dominant role in American politics, with religion acting as a catalyst in the often bitter confrontations ranging from abortion to public education. These insightful essays by leading scholars in the field examine the role of religion in these 'culture wars' and present a mixed assessment of the scope and divisiveness of such conflicts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780847682676
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/05/1996
Series:	Religious Forces in the Modern Political World
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.16(w) x 9.22(h) x 1.06(d)

About the Author

John C. Green is professor of political science at the University of Akron. James L. Guth is professor of political science at Furman University. Corwin E. Smidt is professor of political science at Calvin College. Lyman A. Kellstedt is Professor of Political Science at Wheaton College.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction: Religion and the Culture Wars Part 2 Part I: The Christian Right Chapter 3 The Politics of the Christian Right Chapter 4 The Moralizing Minority: Christian Right Support Among Political Contributors Chapter 5 A Look at the "Invisible Army": Pat Robertson's 1988 Activist Corps Chapter 6 Onward Christian Soldiers: Religious Activist Groups in American Politics Part 7 Part II: Religion and Political Activists Chapter 8 The Christian Right in the Republican Party: The Case of Pat Robertson's Supporters Chapter 9 Faith and Election: The Christian Right in Congressional Campaigns/ 1978-1988 Chapter 10 Politics in a New Key: Religiosity and Participation Among Political Activists Chapter 11 The Bully Pulpit: Politics and the Southern Baptist Clergy, 1980-1992 Part 12 Part III: Evangelical Voters Chapter 13 Grasping the Essentials: The Social Embodiment of Religion and Political Behavior Chapter 14 Measuring Fundamentalism: An Analysis of Different Operational Strategies Chapter 15 The Spirit-Filled Movements and American Politics Chapter 16 The Puzzle of Evangelical Protestantism: Core, Periphery, and Political Behavior Part 17 Part IV: Religion and Political Behavior Chapter 18 Religious Voting Blocs in the 1992 Election: The Year of the Evangelical? Lyman A. Kellstedt Chapter 19 Has Godot Finally Arrived? Religion and Realignment Chapter 20 The Political Relevance of Religion: The Correlates of Mobilization Chapter 21 Religion and Foreign Policy Attitudes: The Case of Christian Zionism Chapter 22 Index

Editorial Reviews

provides a rich resource for other scholars to mine and build a richer understanding of the phenomenon of the religious right than one can gain from journalists and scholars without the familiarity and research skills of the "gang of four."

Pneuma: The Journal Of The Society For Pentacostal Studies - Dennis McNutt

An essential guide to the full comprehension of the multifaceted nature of Americans' political beliefs.

American Political Science Review

.. . a judicious blend of previously published materials and new scholarship, a book that will convince even the most skeptical observer that religion matters—and matters deeply—in American political attitudes and behaviorrrrr

Ken Wald

.. . a rich collection of essays tracing the influence of religion in American political life at the end of the Twentieth Century. The Gang of Four like the esteemed householder of the Gospel parable, has brought from its treasury both the new and theold.

Clarke E. Cochran

The scholarship displayed in this diverse collection of essays is first-rate, accessible to the general reader and sufficiently detailed enough to provide insight and testable hypotheses for researchers in this field.

Thomas Dowdy

provides a rich resource for other scholars to mine and build a richer understanding of the phenomenon of the religious right than one can gain from journalists and scholars without the familiarity and research skills of the "gang of four."
— Dennis McNutt

Pneuma: The Journal Of The Society For Pentacostal Studies

. . . a rich collection of essays tracing the influence of religion in American political life at the end of the Twentieth Century. The "Gang of Four" like the esteemed householder of the Gospel parable, has brought from its "treasury both the new and the old."

Clarke E.Cochran