The Future of Religion in American Politics [Hardcover]

Charles W. Dunn (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 2009

Should parents receive vouchers to send their children to religious schools? What limits -- if any -- should the government place on abortion? Should the government permit and fund stem cell research? Should religious organizations have the right to prohibit the employment of homosexuals? Should public schools teach both creationism and evolution? How does religion influence our political stances on gay marriage? The death penalty? Immigration? The issues are real. The emotions are intense. The solutions are difficult to reach and often problematic. From the White House to the courthouse, from governors' mansions to the United States Supreme Court, religion factors into many contemporary legal controversies. Efforts to establish the proper balance between church and state create heated debates in America and raise seemingly insoluble questions. Politicians and their advisers walk a fine line when addressing religious issues in an increasingly pluralistic society where religious factions attempt to impose their values on the electoral and legislative processes. The Future of Religion in American Politics presents thoughtful, wide-ranging essays by twelve eminent public intellectuals and scholars, offering rich and stimulating views on one of the most divisive issues of our time. Editor Charles W. Dunn and the contributors assess the impact of religion on American politics in four distinct time periods: the founding, the Civil War, the New Deal era, and the modern era. Dunn out lines seven propositions that characterize the interaction of religion and politics during these time periods and describes how and why religion continues to influence politics in America. Contributors to this volume argue that whereas religion in the founding era held society together in a shared belief of the biblical portrayal of humanity, today's pluralistic religious interpretations of God appear to be tearing society apart. The rise of Islam and other world religions poses perplexing questions about the issue of tolerance. Can America survive as a free society without commonly accepted morals that are based in religion? Is America a secular society with a clear separation of church and state, or a government created and informed by ever-changing religious values? The Future of Religion in American Politics includes essays about religion in the public square, evangelical, and faith-based politics in presidential elections. The authors investigate many thought--provoking questions about the extent of religious influence in the U.S. government today and its likely impact in the future. Lucid and accessible, this book covers a wide range of issues and will be invaluable to students of politics, religious studies, and history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""The Future of Religion in American Politics is a genuinely outstanding collection of brilliant and accessible essays by many of the leading authorities of religion and politics in America. Many of the essays could easily stand alone as the best introduction to religion and our political life available. The breadth of coverage here is unusual and refreshing."--Peter Augustine Lawler, author of Homeless and at Home in America: Evidence for the Dignity of the Human Soul in Our Time and Place" --

""[The Future of Religion in American Politics] is substantively and methodologically diverse, presenting the reader with a variety of insights and perspectives." --American Review of Politics" --

About the Author

Charles W. Dunn is dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University. He has served in several political posts, including as a special assistant to the Minority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives and chief of staff to a U.S. senator from New York. He is also the author of several books, including The Seven Laws of Presidential Leadership and The Future of Conservatism: Conflict and Consensus in the Post-Reagan Era.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky; 1 edition (January 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813125162
• ISBN-13: 978-0813125169
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #592,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)