christianity and politics

"Argues against religious influence on the American government and legal system; reveals that from sexuality to family planning and the tax system, religious doctrines permeate and direct American life; and proposes strategies for overcoming the imposition of external religious views"--Publishers.

First, the good news: according to Wallis, founder of Sojourners and author of the bestseller God's Politics, the era of the religious right is over, and a new crop of under-30 progressives may well be taking American religionand American politicsby storm. The bad news: people of faith need to get to work to further this grassroots support for social justice. Wallis draws on lively stories from his speaking engagements and world travels to discuss how the silent majority of religious Americans who don't feel represented by the religious right's agenda can first take comfort in their sheer numbers and then take action in their communities to fight poverty, clean up the environment and eradicate disease. The book is as passionate, engaging and emotionally moving as readers have come to expect from Wallis, who comes across as a Rauschenbuschian teddy bear, alternately stumping for justice and proclaiming God's love. As a cohesive book, however, this has a rough and clunky sensibility, with considerable repetition of ideas, examples and even phrasing. It has the feel of discrete essays and speeches that have been knocked together and too lightly edited. Still, fans of God's Politics who are eager to learn of the next step will find compelling ideas and stories.

Discusses the history of race and religion in American politics, and describes how both opponents and supporters of slavery drew equally from the Holy Bible to support their claims, the 1830 slave revolt led by Nat Turner, the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and more.

Dr. Richard Land attempts to mediate between the extreme sides of liberalism and conservatism in American politics by offering historical context, sound reasoning and ideas for the country's future.

The author maintains that the religious right is misusing and misquoting the Declaration of Independence in order to Christianize America; and cites examples such as the federal funding of faith-based programs and abolishing the separation of church and state.

Describes the religious rights of Americans and Canadians and discusses debates over religious freedom issues involving education, business, military service, public grounds, and hate crimes and profiling.

Traces the history of America's most powerful fundamentalist group, describing how they have influenced politicians, generals, and foreign dictators since their creation in 1935, and how they impacted American democracy.

A study of apocalyptic Christianity assesses the beliefs of the fifty million Americans who believe that the apocalypse will occur during their lifetimes and their involvement in debates over gay rights, foreign policy, and abortion.