With God On Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America (Paperback)

by William Martin (Author)
Key Phrases: new evangelicals, pro family delegates, precinct delegates, White House, Religious Right, Pat Robertson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The confluence of politics and religion in American life is explored with insight and style in this important new book from Martin (A Prophet With Honor), a professor of sociology at Rice University. Focusing on the modern era, the author analyzes the significance of church and clergy in the tradition of social action, from the civil rights movement through the growth of the Christian Coalition. In a blend of fast-paced journalism and in-depth scholarship, the text incorporates numerous interviews with, and personal accounts by, key figures, weaving together many frayed threads of meaning in contemporary American political life. Scrupulously fair, pointing out what he sees as the media's biases and double standards, Martin details the events and personalities that have infused our politics with religious fervor. From JFK's Catholicism to Billy Graham's flirtation and subsequent disillusionment with politicians; from Jimmy Carter's born-again candidacy to the rise of evangelical political action groups; from Ronald Reagan's courtship of the Moral Majority to the current configuration of the surprisingly diverse religious right, Martin deftly guides the grand tour, putting the fiery social issues of our times?abortion, homosexuality, public education, AIDS and gun control?in the context of the conservative Christian agenda. Martin concludes with a masterful essay on the subtle interpretation of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison regarding separation of church and state, affirming their non-ironic proposition that the health of America's religious communities derives from being apart from the corrupting power of politics. Photos. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Martin (Prophet with Honor: The Billy Graham Story, LJ 11/1/91), an authority on the history and sociology of religion, is well-qualified to examine the phenomenon of the religious right. Starting with an excellent summary of American religious history, he goes on to devote the bulk of his book to developments in the last 50 years. Martin puts his emphasis on the political and social influence of such groups as the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition. He explains the importance of such famous figures as Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, and Ralph Reed. Martin also examines the "culture wars" that fuel the struggle. There is a wealth of information and thoughtful analysis here that brings the reader's understanding down to the immediate present. Martin clearly understands the political danger of a powerful religious Right, which seeks to stifle all dissent. He fails, however, to acknowledge the equally heavy-handed agenda of the humanist Left, which, in part, has given rise to the problem. Recommended for public and academic libraries.?C. Robert Nixon, M.L.S., Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (June 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767922573
• ISBN-13: 978-0767922579
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #260,615 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview and reliable place to start., October 17, 2001

By	grapabo (Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious right in America (Pbs Series) (Paperback)

This book is pretty solid in documenting the history of the religious right in America. Although much of the focus is on the last half of the 20th century, the introduction and the epilogue give some background on the interaction between Christianity and government in the previous period.

I haven't seen the PBS television series that this book accompanies, so some things in the book probably impact a little differently than seeing video or audio accounts, especially so in a movement that makes so much use of oral speeches and broadcasts. But at least in the written account, the balance is kept between fair treatment and criticism of the different elements of the movement. This is no easy feat, given the sometimes inflammatory rhetoric both by the Christian right and against it.

The chapters of the book appear to reflect an episode format, with varying types of focal points telling the story in a roughly chronological order. One chapter profiles a person (--Billy Graham) while other chapters highlight in depth a local conflict (such as the battle over sex education in Anaheim and the school book battle in West Virginia), while others talk primarily about the formation of the major activist groups (Moral Majority, and then later the Christian Coalition). One trend appears to be that as the Judeo-Christian culture lost its monopoly in the political process, the struggle has been for the Christian right (in whatever form it took at the time) to keep its place at the table while keeping to its core values. Even at the end of the book (which ends with mid-1996), this conflict was not resolved.

The book also focuses on personal profiles of the individuals in the involvement, which also provides some more depth about what many people might lump together as monolithic. The differences between Jerry Falwell's background (the rural son of an alcoholic father) and Pat Robertson (the son of a U.S. senator) are pointed out in light of the interaction (or lack thereof) at certain points when they would be considered natural allies on the surface. And at a time in the 1980s when most Christian preachers and conservative commentators were considering the possibility of quarantining or tatooing AIDS patients, one televangelist said:

"How sad that we as Christians, who ought to be the salt of the earth, and we, who are supposed to be able to love everyone, are afraid so of an AIDS patient that we will not go up and put our arm around them and tell them that we care."

The televangelist? Tammy Faye Bakker.

For those seeking to learn about the movement without the whitewash or the ridicule that accompanies most assessments of the Christian right, this book is the best place to start.

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, but be careful!, June 9, 2000

By	"cperkgo" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious right in America (Pbs Series) (Paperback)

William Martin's With God on Our Side is a good and detailed history of Conservative Christians' attempt to involve themselves in American politics. This is only one dimension of the movement, and his focus on this dimension leaves one feeling that the movement is primarily political. I also did not find the book as objective as other reviewers or as clear. While the depiction of events is objective, Martin's commentary is not. He does not believe that religious groups should involve themselves in politics. In many ways, the book is a warning to future generation of Conservative Christians. It provides many examples of how the attempt has blown up in Conservative Christians' faces. What is unclear in the book is the line between social conservatives and religious conservatives. While the line is fine, Martin's approach is at times simplistic. The groups often work together and share common causes, but they are ultimately different and have different views of America's future. To his credit, Martin usually makes this clear when discussing the involvement of radical groups like the KKK. If you keep the above in mind, the book can be rewarding!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Crucial to an objective understanding, November 28, 1999

By	Sebastian Good (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America (Hardcover)

William Martin's With God on Our Side offers a sympathetic yet objective look at the evolution of Christian fundamentalism in America over the last 50 years, culminating in the rise of the Christian Coalition and the Religious Right. Written in conjunction with a PBS series of the same title, Martin's book contains both a detailed overview and plenty of first-hand accounts of events that have transformed what was once a politically non-existent group into one of the most important voting blocs in America. No matter which side of the fence you fall on, this book is a must for students of both religion and politics.