The Politics Of American Religious Identity

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The Politics of American Religious Identity

Author : Kathleen Flake
Publisher : Univ of North Carolina Press
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2005-12-15
Category : Law
ISBN : 9780807863541

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The Politics of American Religious Identity by Kathleen Flake Pdf

Between 1901 and 1907, a broad coalition of Protestant churches sought to expel newly elected Reed Smoot from the Senate, arguing that as an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Smoot was a lawbreaker and therefore unfit to be a lawmaker. The resulting Senate investigative hearing featured testimony on every peculiarity of Mormonism, especially its polygamous family structure. The Smoot hearing ultimately mediated a compromise between Progressive Era Protestantism and Mormonism and resolved the nation's long-standing "Mormon Problem." On a broader scale, Kathleen Flake shows how this landmark hearing provided the occasion for the country--through its elected representatives, the daily press, citizen petitions, and social reform activism--to reconsider the scope of religious free exercise in the new century. Flake contends that the Smoot hearing was the forge in which the Latter-day Saints, the Protestants, and the Senate hammered out a model for church-state relations, shaping for a new generation of non-Protestant and non-Christian Americans what it meant to be free and religious. In addition, she discusses the Latter-day Saints' use of narrative and collective memory to retain their religious identity even as they changed to meet the nation's demands.

Political Religion and Religious Politics

Author : David S. Gutterman,Andrew R. Murphy
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 170 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2015-10-14
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781136339288

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Political Religion and Religious Politics by David S. Gutterman,Andrew R. Murphy Pdf

Profound demographic and cultural changes in American society over the last half century have unsettled conventional understandings of the relationship between religious and political identity. The "Protestant mainline" continues to shrink in numbers, as well as in cultural and political influence. The growing population of American Muslims seek both acceptance and a firmer footing within the nation’s cultural and political imagination. Debates over contraception, same-sex relationships, and "prosperity" preaching continue to roil the waters of American cultural politics. Perhaps most remarkably, the fastest-rising religious demographic in most public opinion surveys is "none," giving rise to a new demographic that Gutterman and Murphy name "Religious Independents." Even the evangelical movement, which powerfully re-entered American politics during the 1970s and 1980s and retains a strong foothold in the Republican Party, has undergone generational turnover and no longer represents a monolithic political bloc. Political Religion and Religious Politics:Navigating Identities in the United States explores the multifaceted implications of these developments by examining a series of contentious issues in contemporary American politics. Gutterman and Murphy take up the controversy over the "Ground Zero Mosque," the political and legal battles over the contraception mandate in the Affordable Health Care Act and the ensuing Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision, the national response to the Great Recession and the rise in economic inequality, and battles over the public school curricula, seizing on these divisive challenges as opportunities to illuminate the changing role of religion in American public life. Placing the current moment into historical perspective, and reflecting on the possible future of religion, politics, and cultural conflict in the United States, Gutterman and Murphy explore the cultural and political dynamics of evolving notions of national and religious identity. They argue that questions of religion are questions of identity -- personal, social, and political identity -- and that they function in many of the same ways as race, sex, gender, and ethnicity in the construction of personal meaning, the fostering of solidarity with others, and the conflict they can occasion in the political arena.

From Politics to the Pews

Author : Michele F. Margolis
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 307 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2018-08-17
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780226555812

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From Politics to the Pews by Michele F. Margolis Pdf

One of the most substantial divides in American politics is the “God gap.” Religious voters tend to identify with and support the Republican Party, while secular voters generally support the Democratic Party. Conventional wisdom suggests that religious differences between Republicans and Democrats have produced this gap, with voters sorting themselves into the party that best represents their religious views. Michele F. Margolis offers a bold challenge to the conventional wisdom, arguing that the relationship between religion and politics is far from a one-way street that starts in the church and ends at the ballot box. Margolis contends that political identity has a profound effect on social identity, including religion. Whether a person chooses to identify as religious and the extent of their involvement in a religious community are, in part, a response to political surroundings. In today’s climate of political polarization, partisan actors also help reinforce the relationship between religion and politics, as Democratic and Republican elites stake out divergent positions on moral issues and use religious faith to varying degrees when reaching out to voters.

Native American Religious Identity

Author : Jace Weaver
Publisher : Maryknoll, N.Y. : Orbis Books
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : History
ISBN : STANFORD:36105012166836

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Native American Religious Identity by Jace Weaver Pdf

In this ground-breaking work, some of the best contemporary Native scholars and writers examine the issue of Native religious identity today. Because the traditional Native American view recognizes no sharp distinction between sacred and profane spheres of existence, Native cultures and religious traditions are in many ways synonymous and coextensive. This intimate relationship between culture and religion makes the question of religious identity a vital inquiry. Essays range from the scholarly to the intensely personal, including Christian, traditional, and "post-Christian" perspectives. The range of topics includes a study of Nahua religion and the cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe; the role of Native interpreters in spreading Christianity; a Native writer's observations of a modern Sun Dance ritual; and an Indian elder's poignant account of how it felt, after her marriage to a white Canadian, to receive an official card from the government declaring that she was "no longer an Indian" according to the laws of Canada.

American Grace

Author : Robert D. Putnam,David E. Campbell
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 720 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2012-02-21
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781416566731

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American Grace by Robert D. Putnam,David E. Campbell Pdf

Draws on three national surveys on religion, as well as research conducted by congregations across the United States, to examine the profound impact it has had on American life and how religious attitudes have changed in recent decades.

Rediscovering the Religious Factor in American Politics

Author : David C. Leege,Lyman A. Kellstedt
Publisher : M.E. Sharpe
Page : 342 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 1993
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 1563241331

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Rediscovering the Religious Factor in American Politics by David C. Leege,Lyman A. Kellstedt Pdf

This volume addresses whether and how religion and religious institutions affect American politics, and is addressed to readers not only among social scientists and political journalists but also among theologians, seminarians, and religious leaders. The volume is divided into six parts: why study religion in the context of politics; religion as an orientation toward group; religion as a set of public and private practices; doctrinal, experiential, and world view measures; leadership stimuli and reference groups; and does religion matter in studies of voting behavior and attitudes? Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

At Home and Abroad

Author : Elizabeth Shakman Hurd,Winnifred Fallers Sullivan
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 270 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2021-03-02
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780231552905

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At Home and Abroad by Elizabeth Shakman Hurd,Winnifred Fallers Sullivan Pdf

From right to left, notions of religion and religious freedom are fundamental to how many Americans have understood their country and themselves. Ideas of religion, politics, and the interplay between them are no less crucial to how the United States has engaged with the world beyond its borders. Yet scholarship on American religion tends to bracket the domestic and foreign, despite the fact that assumptions about the differences between ourselves and others deeply shape American religious categories and identities. At Home and Abroad bridges the divide in the study of American religion, law, and politics between domestic and international, bringing together diverse and distinguished authors from religious studies, law, American studies, sociology, history, and political science to explore interrelations across conceptual and political boundaries. They bring into sharp focus the ideas, people, and institutions that provide links between domestic and foreign religious politics and policies. Contributors break down the categories of domestic and foreign and inquire into how these taxonomies are related to other axes of discrimination, asking questions such as: What and who counts as “home” or “abroad,” how and by whom are these determinations made, and with what consequences? Offering a new approach to theorizing the politics of religion in the context of the American nation-state, At Home and Abroad also interrogates American religious exceptionalism and illuminates imperial dynamics beyond the United States.

Identity and the Politics of Scholarship in the Study of Religion

Author : Jose Cabezon,Sheila Greeve Davaney
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 246 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2004-12-15
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781135877187

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Identity and the Politics of Scholarship in the Study of Religion by Jose Cabezon,Sheila Greeve Davaney Pdf

The relationship of a scholar's identity to the scholarship he or she produces is a central concern in the academy and this volume is the first attempt to approach the special problems it presents for religious studies.

Faith in Numbers

Author : Michael Hoffman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 213 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2021-01-18
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780197538036

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Faith in Numbers by Michael Hoffman Pdf

Why does religion sometimes increase support for democracy and sometimes do just the opposite? In Faith in Numbers, political scientist Michael Hoffman presents a theory of religion, group interest, and democracy. Focusing on communal religion, he demonstrates that the effect of communal prayer on support for democracy depends on the interests of the religious group in question. For members of groups who would benefit from democracy, communal prayer increases support for democratic institutions; for citizens whose groups would lose privileges in the event of democratic reforms, the opposite effect is present. Using a variety of data sources, Hoffman illustrates these claims in multiple contexts. He places particular emphasis on his study of Lebanon and Iraq, two countries in which sectarian divisions have played a major role in political development, by utilizing both existing and original surveys. By examining religious and political preferences among both Muslims and non-Muslims in several religiously diverse settings, Faith in Numbers shows that theological explanations of religion and democracy are inadequate. Rather, it demonstrates that religious identities and sectarian interests play a major part in determining regime preferences and illustrates how Islam in particular can be mobilized for both pro- and anti-democratic purposes. It finds that Muslim religious practice is not necessarily anti-democratic; in fact, in a number of settings, practicing Muslims are considerably more supportive of democracy than their secular counterparts. Theological differences alone do not determine whether members of religious groups tend to support or oppose democracy; rather, their participation in communal worship motivates them to view democracy through a sectarian lens.

The Politics of Latino Faith

Author : Catherine E. Wilson
Publisher : NYU Press
Page : 302 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2008-06
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780814794135

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The Politics of Latino Faith by Catherine E. Wilson Pdf

With the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign in full swing, many pundits and commentators are striving to understand the political behavior of Latinos—the largest minority in the United States and a key voting block that presidential candidates in this election and beyond will have to learn how to secure. As the author makes clear, not only are Latinos a religious community, but their religious institutions, in particular faith-based organizations, inform daily life and politics in Latino communities to a considerable degree. Timely and discerning, this unique scholarly work addresses this increasingly powerful political force. Concentrating on urban areas in the South Bronx, Philadelphia, and Chicago, the author provides a systematic look at the spiritual, social, and cultural influence Latino faith-based organizations have provided in American life as well as in understanding Latino social and political involvement in the United States.

Political and Religious Identities of British Evangelicals

Author : Andrea C. Hatcher
Publisher : Springer
Page : 249 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2017-07-19
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9783319562827

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Political and Religious Identities of British Evangelicals by Andrea C. Hatcher Pdf

This book examines the paradoxical relationship between the religious and political behaviors of American and British Evangelicals, who exhibit nearly identical religious canon and practice, but sharply divergent political beliefs and action. Relying on interviews with British religious and political elites (journalists, MPs, activists, clergy) as well as focus groups in ten Evangelical congregations, this study reveals that British Evangelicals, unlike their American counterparts known for their extensive involvement in party politics, have no discernible ideological or partisan orientation, choosing to pursue their political interests through civic or social organizations rather than electoral influence. It goes further to show that many British Evangelicals shun the label itself for its negative political connotations and in-/out-group sensibility, and choose to focus on a broader social justice imperative rendered almost incoherent by a lack of group identity. Placing itself at the forefront of an incipient but growing segment of comparative research into the intersectionality of religion and politics, the work satisfies a lacuna of how the same religious tradition can act differently in public squares contextualized by political and cultural variables.

Religious Identity in US Politics

Author : Matthew R. Miles
Publisher : Lynne Rienner Publishers
Page : 175 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2019
Category : Identification (Religion)
ISBN : 1626378096

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Religious Identity in US Politics by Matthew R. Miles Pdf

While existing scholarship addresses the influence of religious affiliation on political attitudes and behaviors in the United States, a number of puzzling questions remain unanswered. In response, Matthew Miles demonstrates that a more complete conceptualization of religion as a social identity can help to explain many of those puzzles. As he explores the impact, both positive and negative, of religious identity on political attitudes, he also shows that the religion-politics relationship is not a one-way street.

Imagining Judeo-Christian America

Author : K. Healan Gaston
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 361 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2019-11-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9780226663999

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Imagining Judeo-Christian America by K. Healan Gaston Pdf

“Judeo-Christian” is a remarkably easy term to look right through. Judaism and Christianity obviously share tenets, texts, and beliefs that have strongly influenced American democracy. In this ambitious book, however, K. Healan Gaston challenges the myth of a monolithic Judeo-Christian America. She demonstrates that the idea is not only a recent and deliberate construct, but also a potentially dangerous one. From the time of its widespread adoption in the 1930s, the ostensible inclusiveness of Judeo-Christian terminology concealed efforts to promote particular conceptions of religion, secularism, and politics. Gaston also shows that this new language, originally rooted in arguments over the nature of democracy that intensified in the early Cold War years, later became a marker in the culture wars that continue today. She argues that the debate on what constituted Judeo-Christian—and American—identity has shaped the country’s religious and political culture much more extensively than previously recognized.

The Politics of Evangelical Identity

Author : Lydia Bean
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 335 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2016-12-13
Category : History
ISBN : 9780691173702

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The Politics of Evangelical Identity by Lydia Bean Pdf

Drawing on her groundbreaking research at evangelical churches near the U.S. border with Canada -- two in Buffalo, New York, and two in Hamilton, Ontario -- Lydia Bean compares how American and Canadian evangelicals talk about politics incongregational settings.

The Production of American Religious Freedom

Author : Finbarr Curtis
Publisher : NYU Press
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2016-08-02
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781479843800

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The Production of American Religious Freedom by Finbarr Curtis Pdf

Americans love religious freedom. Few agree, however, about what they mean by either “religion” or “freedom.” Rather than resolve these debates, Finbarr Curtis argues that there is no such thing as religious freedom. Lacking any consistent content, religious freedom is a shifting and malleable rhetoric employed for a variety of purposes. While Americans often think of freedom as the right to be left alone, the free exercise of religion works to produce, challenge, distribute, and regulate different forms of social power. The book traces shifts in the notion of religious freedom in America from The Second Great Awakening, to the fiction of Louisa May Alcott and the films of D.W. Griffith, through William Jennings Bryan and the Scopes Trial, and up to debates over the Tea Party to illuminate how Protestants have imagined individual and national forms of identity. A chapter on Al Smith considers how the first Catholic presidential nominee of a major party challenged Protestant views about the separation of church and state. Moving later in the twentieth century, the book analyzes Malcolm X’s more sweeping rejection of Christian freedom in favor of radical forms of revolutionary change. The final chapters examine how contemporary controversies over intelligent design and the claims of corporations to exercise religion are at the forefront of efforts to shift regulatory power away from the state and toward private institutions like families, churches, and corporations. The volume argues that religious freedom is produced within competing visions of governance in a self-governing nation.