Author: Clyde Wilcox Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 0429974531 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 266
Book Description
They have money, influence, power - and they turn out to vote. "They" are groups like Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, and Concerned Women for America (all parts of the Christian Right. But, are they a serious threat to religious liberty, bent on creating a theocratic state, or the last defenders of religion and family values in America). Bringing the story of the religious right up to the Obama administration, this revised fourth edition explores the history of the movement in twentieth and early twenty-first century American politics. The authors review the expansion of the Christian Right through George W. Bush's second administration and evaluate how the religious right fared in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Although figureheads of the religious right remain in the news, their power in Washington may be declining, and the authors consider the fate of the religious right under the Obama administration. Examining how the religious right both does and does not fit into the proper role of religious groups in American politics, Onward Christian Soldiers? is an essential addition to the Dilemmas in American Politics series.
Author: Deal W. Hudson Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN: 9781416565895 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 368
Book Description
Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod. We are not divided, all one body we. One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. -- From the nineteenth-century hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers" What keeps America a country of religious practice and traditional values? How has the U.S. avoided suc-cumbing to total secularism? The answer to these provocative questions is found in the religious commun-ities of America today: In the past thirty years, the religiously active voter has migrated to the Republican Party, and the story behind this shift, evidenced in the emergence of Evangelical dominance over mainstream Protestantism and the defeat of liberal Catholicism, is at the heart of this fascinating cultural history. In Onward, Christian Soldiers, the Washington insider who was at the vanguard of the sea change in religious and political history that propelled George W. Bush into the White House offers an intimate perspective on those remarkable years -- and their influence over the ones to come. Deal W. Hudson analyzes how, steadily over-coming age-old misjudgments and misunderstandings that separated them, conservative Catholics and Evangelical Christians drew together because of what they viewed as profound assaults on shared core beliefs. They became allies to battle the forces of secularization, relativism, and atheism. And together they forged a grassroots movement across America that astonished political activists and surprised commentators as well as members of traditional religious organizations. How, exactly, was this coalition achieved and who were its movers and shakers? What enabled them to deepen, enrich, and activate the resurgence of traditional values in society to make America radically different from the secularized Europe that was so widely believed to be on the verge of becoming the model for the United States? Deal W. Hudson details this phenomenon by examining the leading figures and institutions on both sides of the debate, exposing the dramatic encounters between those espousing fundamental Judeo-Christian beliefs and those heralding the "death of God" and the new age of secular humanism. Dealing with today's hot-button issues, Onward, Christian Soldiers provides an unprecedented look at the confrontation of the religious right with secularists in America, a confrontation that is not only timely but also timeless in its impact.
Author: Clyde Wilcox Publisher: Westview Press ISBN: 9780813397597 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
They have money, influence, power-and they turn out to vote. They are credited with delivering a significant part of the Republicans' stunning 1994 electoral success, foreshadowed their status as major players in the elections of 1996. "They" are groups like the Moral Majority, the Christian Coalition, and the religious right. But are they the greatest threat to liberty since Hitler or the last defenders of religious freedom and family values in America? In this revised and updated second edition of Onward Christian Soldiers Clyde Wilcox tells us who they are, what their history has been in twentieth-century American politics, and how they might organize themselves for future political effectiveness. He tackles the sticky political dilemma of the proper role of religious groups in American politics and government while showing how the contemporary religious right does-and does not-fit into that context.
Author: Derek J. Cheek Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers ISBN: 1532649657 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 170
Book Description
You’ve probably heard someone say, “I go to a Bible believing church.” The implication is pretty clear: if you go somewhere else you’re attending a “Bible doubting” church. Some fundamentalist and evangelical pastors actually say just that from their pulpits. It’s branding genius! It’s also dismissive of most of Christianity. In this book I hope to reclaim words like “moderate” and “progressive” as a style of spirituality that actually reflects Jesus’ teaching. My goal is to present a scriptural basis for the beliefs of the other half of American Protestantism. I hope that those who read this book see that our differences from fundamentalist and evangelical congregations are grounded on an abiding trust in God’s goodness, especially as we see it in Jesus. It’s my desire to establish how discipleship in our communities is driven by the belief that the sacrificial love we see expressed by Jesus for us, should also be expressed by us in our everyday lives. Jesus calls us to follow his way of life, which is reflected in the Beatitudes. That kind of Christianity looks a lot different from what is being taught in most big-box churches across the country.
Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Publisher: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ISBN: 1465103074 Category : Languages : en Pages : 242
Book Description
The prophet Brigham Young taught the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in a basic, practical way that gave inspiration and hope to the Saints struggling to build a home in the wilderness. Though more than a century has now passed, his words are still fresh and appropriate for us today as we continue the work of building the kingdom of God. President Young declared that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we possess the “doctrine of life and salvation for all the honest-in-heart” (DBY, 7). He promised that those who receive the gospel in their hearts will have awakened “within them a desire to know and understand the things of God more than they ever did before in their lives” and will begin to “inquire, read and search and when they go to their Father in the name of Jesus he will not leave them without a witness” (DBY, 450). This book reflects the desire of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to deepen the doctrinal understanding of Church members and to awaken within them a greater desire to know the things of God. It will inspire and motivate individuals, priesthood quorums, and Relief Society classes to inquire, read, search, and then go to their Father in Heaven for a witness of the truth of these teachings. Each chapter contains two sections—“Teachings of Brigham Young” and “Suggestions for Study.” The first section consists of extracts from Brigham Young’s sermons to the early Saints. Each statement has been referenced, and the original spelling and punctuation have been preserved; however, the sources cited will not be readily available to most members. These original sources are not necessary to have in order to effectively study or teach from this book. Members need not purchase additional references and commentaries to study or teach these chapters. The text provided in this book, accompanied by the scriptures, is sufficient for instruction. Members should prayerfully read and study President Young’s teachings in order to gain new insights into gospel principles and discover how those principles apply to their everyday lives. By faithfully and prayerfully studying these selections, Latter-day Saints will have a greater understanding of gospel principles and will more fully appreciate the profound and inspired teachings of this great prophet. The second section of each chapter offers a series of questions that will encourage thoughtful contemplation, personal application, and discussion of President Young’s teachings. Members should refer to and carefully reread his words on the principle being discussed. Deep and prayerful study of these teachings will inspire members to greater personal commitment and will help them resolve to follow the teachings of the Savior, Jesus Christ. If individuals and families prayerfully follow the principles in this book, they will be blessed and inspired to greater dedication and spirituality, as were the early Saints who heard these words directly from the lips of the “Lion of the Lord” (HC, 7:434)—the prophet, seer, and revelator, President Brigham Young.
Author: Katherine Stewart Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA ISBN: 1635573459 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 353
Book Description
For readers of Democracy in Chains and Dark Money, a revelatory investigation of the Religious Right's rise to political power. For too long the Religious Right has masqueraded as a social movement preoccupied with a number of cultural issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage. In her deeply reported investigation, Katherine Stewart reveals a disturbing truth: this is a political movement that seeks to gain power and to impose its vision on all of society. America's religious nationalists aren't just fighting a culture war, they are waging a political war on the norms and institutions of American democracy. Stewart pulls back the curtain on the inner workings and leading personalities of a movement that has turned religion into a tool for domination. She exposes a dense network of think tanks, advocacy groups, and pastoral organizations embedded in a rapidly expanding community of international alliances and united not by any central command but by a shared, anti-democratic vision and a common will to power. She follows the money that fuels this movement, tracing much of it to a cadre of super-wealthy, ultraconservative donors and family foundations. She shows that today's Christian nationalism is the fruit of a longstanding antidemocratic, reactionary strain of American thought that draws on some of the most troubling episodes in America's past. It forms common cause with a globe-spanning movement that seeks to destroy liberal democracy and replace it with nationalist, theocratic and autocratic forms of government around the world. Religious nationalism is far more organized and better funded than most people realize. It seeks to control all aspects of government and society. Its successes have been stunning, and its influence now extends to every aspect of American life, from the White House to state capitols, from our schools to our hospitals. The Power Worshippers is a brilliantly reported book of warning and a wake-up call. Stewart's probing examination demands that Christian nationalism be taken seriously as a significant threat to the American republic and our democratic freedoms.
Author: Traci Nichols-Belt Publisher: Arcadia Publishing ISBN: 1614233349 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 128
Book Description
The Civil War was trying, bloody and hard-fought combat for both sides. What was it, then, that sustained soldiers low on supplies and morale? For the Army of Tennessee, it was religion. Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War explores the significant impact of religion on every rank, from generals to chaplains to common soldiers. It took faith to endure overwhelming adversity. Religion united troops, informing both why and how they fought and providing the rationale for enduring great hardship for the Confederate cause. Using primary source material such as diaries, letters, journals and sermons of the Army of Tennessee, Traci Nichols-Belt, along with Gordon T. Belt, presents the history of the vital role of the armys religious practices.
Author: Thomas G. Long Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press ISBN: 1611640091 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 170
Book Description
In this compelling and hard-hitting book, respected preacher and teacher Thomas Long identifies and responds to what he sees as the most substantive theological forces and challenges facing preaching today. The issues, he says, are fourfold: the decline in the quality of narrative preaching and the need for its reinvigoration; the tendency of preachers to ignore God's action and presence in our midst; the return of the church's old nemesis, gnosticism--albeit in a milder form--evidenced in today's new "spirituality"; and the absence of eschatology in the pulpit. Long once again has his finger on the pulse of American preaching, demonstrated by his creative responses to these challenges. Whether he is calling for theologically smarter and more ethically discerning preaching, providing a method of interpretation that will allow pastors to recover the emphasis on God in our midst, or encouraging a kind of "interfaith dialogue" with gnosticism, he demonstrates why he has long been considered one of the most thoughtful and intelligent preachers in America today.
Author: Derek J. Cheek Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers ISBN: 1532649673 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 170
Book Description
You've probably heard someone say, "I go to a Bible believing church." The implication is pretty clear: if you go somewhere else you're attending a "Bible doubting" church. Some fundamentalist and evangelical pastors actually say just that from their pulpits. It's branding genius! It's also dismissive of most of Christianity. In this book I hope to reclaim words like "moderate" and "progressive" as a style of spirituality that actually reflects Jesus' teaching. My goal is to present a scriptural basis for the beliefs of the other half of American Protestantism. I hope that those who read this book see that our differences from fundamentalist and evangelical congregations are grounded on an abiding trust in God's goodness, especially as we see it in Jesus. It's my desire to establish how discipleship in our communities is driven by the belief that the sacrificial love we see expressed by Jesus for us, should also be expressed by us in our everyday lives. Jesus calls us to follow his way of life, which is reflected in the Beatitudes. That kind of Christianity looks a lot different from what is being taught in most big-box churches across the country.
Author: Clyde Wilcox
Author: Deal W. Hudson
Author: 
Author: Clyde Wilcox
Author: Derek J. Cheek
Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Author: Katherine Stewart
Author: Traci Nichols-Belt
Author: Thomas G. Long
Author: Derek J. Cheek