Conservative Christians And Political Participation

A timely exploration of the political history, growth, and impact of one of the most powerful religious groups in the United States. Conservative Christians and Political Participation examines the involvement and influence of the growing number of Conservative Christians in America. A historical overview of the interaction of religion and politics from colonial times to today sets the stage for a deeper exploration into the demographics of this group, the concerns they share, and the creative methods they employ to achieve their goals through protests, political activity, leadership, and group organization. Case studies tackle highly emotional issues like same-sex marriage, decency in the mass media, school prayer, euthanasia, and American foreign policy toward Israel. The book also covers leaders such as Pat Buchanan and Ralph Reed, and discusses how they have been effective in their lobbying efforts through organizations like the Christian Action Network and the American Family Association.

This book, written largely by evangelical scholars, analyzes the nature of contemporary evangelicalism and evangelical political involvement, identifies some of the strengths and weaknesses of evangelical political participation, and assesses the significance of present and future evangelical political activity. Contributions include: Contemporary Evangelical Political Involvement: An Overview, by Corwin E. Smidt; The Politics of Christianity Today: 1956-1986, by J. David Fairbanks; The Evangelical Phenomenon: A Falwell-Graham Typology, by Ron R. Stockton; Evangelicals and the New Christian Right: Coherence Versus Diversity in the Issue Stands of Evangelicals, by Corwin E. Smidt; Evangelicals and Political Realignment, by Lyman A. Kellstedt; Evangelical Politics: The Role of the Media, by J. David Woodard; The 'Coming-Out' of Evangelicals, by Lynn Buzzard; The Promise and Pitfalls of Evangelical Political Involvement, by Stephen V. Monsma; Goals of Evangelical Political Involvement: A Fundamentalist Perspective, by Edward G. Dobson; Can Politics Be 'Saved'?: What Must Evangelicals Do to Become Politically Responsible?, by James W. Skillen. Co-published with the Calvin College Department of Political Science and the Calvin College Conference on Christianity and Politics.

The church has been invaded. The Christian Left unveils how liberal thought has entered America's sanctuaries, exchanging the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the trinity of diversity, acceptance, and social justice. This in-depth look at church history, world politics, and pop culture masterfully exposes the rise and agenda of the Christian Left. Readers will learn how to: Identify and refute the lies of the Christian Left Uncover the meaning of love as Jesus defined it Navigate controversial subjects such as abortion, gender identity, and the doctrine of hell Gain confidence in upholding biblical values Come face-to-face with the person of Jesus, who is neither left nor right but the embodiment of truth and grace Be equipped with a strong understanding of issues facing the church today and empowered to elevate God's truth, justice, and wisdom.

Conservative spokesman, author and pastor Dr. Joel C. Hunter forges a new path with A New Kind of Conservative. Hunter takes a provocative look at how faith and politics have interacted in America, giving civic - minded people a balanced and biblically - based approach to political involvement. The author speaks as a conservative Christian with traditional biblical stands regarding abortion and homosexuality, but expands it to include other biblical concerns, such as the environment, poverty, justice issues, AIDS, etc. This is not the ideology and rhetoric associated with the extreme religious right, but rather a broader look at politics that the Bible would have us address. Hunter shows how religion and politics do not have to be at odds with one another, and offers the information and motivation needed to take responsible action. Can a Christian/biblical worldview effectively mesh with postmodern society and secular government? Should Christians be involved in political action and, if so, how? How can Christians more effectively relate and present their faith in the context of contemporary and political society? Readers, regardless of their beliefs, will find this thoughtful, helpful and compelling reading.

A timely exploration of the political history, growth, and impact of one of the most powerful religious groups in the United States. Conservative Christians and Political Participation examines the involvement and influence of the growing number of Conservative Christians in America. A historical overview of the interaction of religion and politics from colonial times to today sets the stage for a deeper exploration into the demographics of this group, the concerns they share, and the creative methods they employ to achieve their goals through protests, political activity, leadership, and group organization. Case studies tackle highly emotional issues like same-sex marriage, decency in the mass media, school prayer, euthanasia, and American foreign policy toward Israel. The book also covers leaders such as Pat Buchanan and Ralph Reed, and discusses how they have been effective in their lobbying efforts through organizations like the Christian Action Network and the American Family Association.

This book shows how Lewis was interested in the truths and falsehoods about human nature and how these conceptions manifest themselves in the public square.

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.

Religion is usually thought of as inconsequential to contemporary Canadian politics. This book takes a hard look at just how much influence faith continues to have in federal, provincial, and territorial arenas. Drawing on case studies from across the country, it explores three important axes of religiously based contention – Protestant vs. Catholic, conservative vs. reformer, and, more recently, opponents vs. defenders of accommodating minority religious practices. Although the extent of partisan engagement with each of these sources of conflict has varied across time and region, the authors show that religion still matters in shaping political oppositions. These themes are illuminated by comparisons to the role faith plays in the politics of other Western industrialized societies.