The Politics of Heaven: America in Fearful Times [Hardcover]

Earl Shorris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2007

An unsettling account of the events, ideas, and minds behind the nameless political movement that governs America today.

The movement transcends political parties, has no formal structure, no acknowledged leaders, and no sworn loyalty except to God, whose will it interprets according to its fears and desires. Yet it is not an abstraction. It elects our presidents and legislatures and informs their decisions while in office.

The movement started at the end of World War II when nuclear weapons, the Holocaust, and then the Cold War led to the fear of mass death that infected American views of justice, ethics, and global politics. It gradually replaced the New Deal.

As conversations with religious and political leaders, churchgoers, and pollsters make clear, after 9/11 the nation became increasingly pessimistic. Americans more than ever embraced simplistic, self-serving solutions to questions of personal and national destiny.

To regain the best in the American character, we must recognize the existence of a new national movement, define it, and learn how it grows. This book is a first step.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The way we understand death—and the possibilities of an afterlife—are at the center of an inchoate movement that started after World War II and, without a leader or a formal structure, has grown to influence every aspect of American life, from religion to politics to economics. Although this "movement" is generally regarded as Christian Fundamentalist, Shorris argues that it is far more widespread. He offers a historical perspective on religion in the U.S., from Calvinist doctrine marrying religion and capitalism to the conservative modern-day gospels as preached by Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell. Drawing on research and interviews with political figures and advisors, academics, and theologians, Shorris examines the confluence of history, philosophy, experiences, and "elemental feelings" that have gained enough momentum to become a movement of the fearful. Fear has led to a pessimism that is driving decisions about who we elect to the presidency, how we approach global warming, and how we view the poor. Shorris eloquently offers a penetrating and unsettling look at American fear birthed by the horrors of the atom bomb and nurtured by 9/11 that promises to have an enduring impact on global and domestic policy for generations to come. Bush, Vanessa

About the Author

Earl Shorris, the author of many nonfiction works and novels, was awarded a National Humanities Medal by President Clinton for his founding of the Clemente Course in the Humanities®, Inc. He lives in New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; First Edition edition (August 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393059634
• ISBN-13: 978-0393059632
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #576,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading, September 24, 2007

By 

Mary Etta Moose "Mary Etta" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Politics of Heaven: America in Fearful Times (Hardcover)

The role of religion in politics is a subject whose time has come. Of the several books treating it that have come out this year, Earl Shorris' "The Politics of Heaven: America in Fearful Times" is the most comprehensive and rewarding. Even those who are most conscientious about doing their political homework will gain new insights from the meticulous research and trustworthy analysis of this beautifully written treatise.
Mary Etta Moose

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Informing, February 23, 2008

By 

Joshua D. Brown "www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Politics of Heaven: America in Fearful Times (Hardcover)

Very rarely do I come across a book that I'm genuinely interested in. Most books I read are stuff that I'm vaguely familiar with. Or interested in. Or have some experience with. I picked up this book on the synopsis on the back cover alone (and it was also a librarian's feature shelf pick). I thought the book was going to be about evangelicals and their politics shaped by an afterlife. And while it was a bit about that . . . it had more to do with a "theology of fear". I honestly found the book incredibly interesting. I learned stuff about people and history that I didn't know before. It was genuinely informative. The author, Earl Shorris, spends time banging on Wolfowitz, Cheney, and Bush. But he shows his true moderate, un-biased voice when he spends equal time critiquing the foundations that both Clintons have built their politics off of. As well as Jim Wallis and other evangelicals like Falwell and Dobson. His basic premise is that both Democrats and Republicans rely way too heavily on "fear", i.e. nuclear, after-life, hell, heaven, etc, as a political tool. And that ultimately, the majority of our politics lean way to heavily on "politics of the moment" as opposed to sound, intellectual discourse rooted in philosophy, spirituality, and economics. The argument being that we have far more to learn from Aristotle than we do from political advisors seeking to capitalize on the politics of the moment. It's a bit long. And the writing jumps around a bit. But for interesting history lessons and informative insights alone, it's worth a read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Disposed to Evil, September 4, 2011

By 

William O. Straub (Astoria, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Politics of Heaven: America in Fearful Times (Hardcover)

Look at the reviews of this book -- another example of bimodal distribution, good and bad, up and down, black and white. The good reviews reflect what I believe are honest assessments of what this book has to say, while the bad are knee-jerk reactions by people who I suspect represent the reason why the book was written in the first place.

"Americans" is one of the last chapters of the book, and if you won't wade through the whole thing (shame on you, as this is a great book), then at least read this chapter. Mr. Shorris does not explicitly reveal the identity of "The Movement" anywhere in his text, but here it is. Basically, it is those Americans who, out of their irrational and all-consuming fear of death and insecurity, have constructed a cult of Christianity that makes absolutely no sense. Indeed, as Shorris asserts, the "love of God and our fellow man" has been replaced by the "fear of God and our fellow man." Everything that Christ Jesus taught has been twisted and corrupted to serve the needs of the Movement and its desire for short term security (great wealth, power and supremacy) and long term security (Heaven everlasting).

While reading the book I kept shaking my head, recognizing again and again the traits and characteristics of conservative friends and family members. All love Jesus and strive to follow Him, yet they enthusiastically support war, racism, capital punishment, the rape of the poor and middle class for the benefit of the rich and, above all, supply-side economics. But Shorris' thesis deals primarily with The Movement's support of corrupt politics and murderous politicians as a very selfish means of attaining Heaven. I agree with this thesis: indeed, these Americans, good Christians all, are the very disposition of evil.