The Quiet Hand of God: Faith-Based Activism and the Public Role of Mainline Protestantism [Paperback]

Robert Wuthnow (Editor), John H. Evans (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520233131 | ISBN-13: 978-0520233133 | Publication Date: October 7, 2002 | Edition: 1

Robert Wuthnow and John H. Evans bring together a stellar collection of essays that paints a contemporary portrait of American Protestantism--a denomination that has remained quietly, but firmly, influential in the public sphere. Mainline Protestants may have steered clear of the controversial, attention-grabbing tactics of the Religious Right, but they remain culturally influential and continue to impact American society through political action and the provision of social services.
The contributors to this volume address religion's larger role in society and cover such topics as welfare, ecology, family, civil rights, and homosexuality. Pioneering, timely, and meticulously researched, The Quiet Hand of God will be an essential reference to the dynamics of American religion well into the twenty-first century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An important contribution to our understanding of the public influence of mainline Protestantism. This well-written and expansive book reveals how socially, civically, and politically active mainline Protestantism continues to be in American society, contrary to much conventional wisdom. Yet it shows the mainline influence as having a particular character, different from that of other religious traditions. Mainline Protestantism has, without justification, been understudied lately. This landmark book puts it back on the map and will generate discussion and inquiry for years to come." -Christian Smith, author of The Secular Revolution

From the Inside Flap

"For those who thought Mainline Protestantism was well on its way to extinction, this collection provides interesting--possibly even shocking--reading. It points to new life arising out of old structures and changing modes of engagement with the culture. The message the reader takes away is that while the future for this religious tradition will not look like its past, it has a future. The best book written lately on this topic."--Wade Clark Roof, author of Spiritual Marketplace: BabyBoomers and the Remaking of American Religion

"An important contribution to our understanding of the public influence of mainline Protestantism. This well-written and expansive book reveals how socially, civically, and politically active mainline Protestantism continues to be in American society, contrary to much conventional wisdom. Yet it shows the mainline influence as having a particular character, different from that of other religious traditions. Mainline Protestantism has, without justification, been understudied lately. This landmark book puts it back on the map and will generate discussion and inquiry for years to come."--Christian Smith, author of The Secular Revolution

"This important book provides a balanced, critical, yet genuinely appreciative analysis of the role of mainline Protestantism's public role. It is a stimulating and refreshing change from the mainline Protestant 'bashing' of the past three decades. In a time of increased calls for religious organizations to be involved in public life, readers will be helped to understand both the possibilities and limits of such involvement as the authors examine the practices and policies of the most publicly engaged of America's religious families."--Jackson W. Carroll, coauthor of Bridging Divided Worlds: Congregations and Generational Cultures

"An essential book for anyone interested in the public nature and works of the Protestant mainline. The vast majority of American citizens believe that churches have a public role. But they disagree about what that role should be. Help has arrived."--Jean Bethke Elshtain, author of Jane Addams and the Dream of American Democracy

"This book is a comprehensive overview of mainline Protestantism's contribution to the public role of religion during the last three decades of the 20th century. It provides a firm platform from which to guide our vision in the new millennium."--Donald E. Miller, author of Reinventing American Protestantism: Christianity in the New Millennium

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Product Details

• Paperback: 430 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (October 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520233131
• ISBN-13: 978-0520233133
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,205,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John H. Evans is professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego. He has been a visiting member of the School of Social Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ, a post-doctoral fellow at the Robert Wood Johnson Scholars in Health Policy Research Program at Yale University and has held a Visiting Professorial Fellowship at the University of Edinburgh. His primary area of expertise is the sociology of religion. He has published books and articles on the history and future of bioethical debate, the social and religious implications of reproductive genetics, and the political behavior of members of religious groups. He has also published many articles on opinion polarization in the U.S. over abortion, homosexuality and related issues; science and religion and the sociology of religion.