Onward Christian Soldiers [Paperback]

Clyde Wilcox (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813397596 | ISBN-13: 978-0813397597 | Publication Date: September 20, 2000 | Edition: 2nd

They have money, influence, power-and they turn out to vote. They are credited with delivering a significant part of the Republicans' stunning 1994 electoral success, foreshadowed their status as major players in the elections of 1996. "They" are groups like the Moral Majority, the Christian Coalition, and the religious right. But are they the greatest threat to liberty since Hitler or the last defenders of religious freedom and family values in America? In this revised and updated second edition of Onward Christian Soldiers Clyde Wilcox tells us who they are, what their history has been in twentieth-century American politics, and how they might organize themselves for future political effectiveness. He tackles the sticky political dilemma of the proper role of religious groups in American politics and government while showing how the contemporary religious right does-and does not-fit into that context.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent guide to what we know and what is still unclear.... While it is always possible to suggest that a book could say more, it is considerably rarer to find one that already says so much so well." -- American Politics Review

"Clyde Wilcox has produced an engaging volume that deals with a complex and controversial movement in American politics. The author skillfully weaves together interviews, original data, and theory in a book that will interest scholars and students alike. I highly recommend it." -- Matthew C. Moen, University of Maine

"For those attempting to sort out the conflicting assessments of the movement, the best place to start is this crisp and lucid overview by Clyde Wilcox.... Not surprisingly, the result of his effort is an unusually balanced portrait." -- Political Science Quarterly

"Interesting and quite readable, this book succeeds in offering a highly useful general guide, especially for nonspecialists, to the key elements of the Religious Right, and it addresses a number of central issues relating to the religious-political nexus. Written by one of a growing number of political scientists exploring the connections between religion and contemporary politics, this book is yet another important contribution to the field." -- Journal of Church & State

"Nicely done. It properly encourages the fact that the religious right is neither. This book should be required reading for all fair-minded people. Wilcox has done a first-class job." -- David Robinson, University of Houston

"Onward Christian Soldiers? is an admirable book. It is a timely introduction to today's religious right, as well as a thoughtful interpretation of it. It is also a splendid study of the increasingly important role that religion plays in today's American politics." -- Michael Lienesch, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"There are few dilemmas in American government as difficult to resolve as the role of religion in public life. This book provides a cogent summary of the problem through the lens of the religious right. Novices as well as scholars will learn much from this brief and well-written volume." -- John C. Green , University of Akron

"Well-written and cogent." -- Choice

From the Inside Flap

Bringing the story of the religious right up to the Obama administration, this revised fourth edition explores the history of the movement in twentieth and early twenty-first century American politics. The authors review the expansion of the Christian right through George W. Bush’s second administration and evaluate how the religious right fared in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Although figureheads of the religious right remain in the news, their power in Washington may be declining, and the authors consider the fate of the religious right under the Obama administration. Examining how the religious right both does and does not fit into the proper role of religious groups in American politics, Onward Christian Soldiers? is an essential addition to the Dilemmas in American Politics series.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press; 2nd edition (September 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813397596
• ISBN-13: 978-0813397597
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,705,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Summary Introduction, August 25, 2007

By 

Will Jerom (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Onward Christian Soldiers: The Religious Right in American Politics (Dilemmas in American Politics) (Paperback)

This book is a fairly well-balanced introduction to the Christian Right movement in America. Critical, but not demonizing the Christian Right, the book shows that there were a number of waves in which the Christian Right has made a comeback in American politics. Written by a team of solid academics, this is recommended reading for the introductory reader. It is short, and covers a lot of ground in good detail. One shortcoming of the book is its organization, which led to some repetition and redundancy in the book. Not detracting from the overall work, the book serves well as an introduction to the undergraduate reader. What do Wilcox and Larson think? They believe the Christian Right's influence is significant, but also limited. A take-over of American politics or policy does not seem imminent in their view. The legacy of the Christian Right has potential uses, and dangers, but does not in the author's minds pose a grave threat to democracy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine, rational discussion for college-level spirituality or political classes alike, November 13, 2010

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Onward Christian Soldiers?: The Religious Right in American Politics (Dilemmas in American Politics) (Paperback)

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS? THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT IN AMERICAN POLITICS reviews the expansion of the Christian right and the part it's played in American politics, considering the figureheads of right power, political connections, and the history of the religious right through modern times. This updated fourth edition carries the discussion through the first part of the Obama administration and offers fine, rational discussion for college-level spirituality or political classes alike!

3 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, great, March 22, 2000

By 

Juhem Navarro-Rivera - See all my reviews

This review is from: Onward Christian Soldiers?: The Religious Right In American Politics (Dilemmas in American Politics) (Paperback)

Onward Christian Soldiers? is an excellent book that shows the historical background and the rises and falls of the Christian Right in contemporary American politics.