ABSTRACT
This text addresses whether and how religion and religious institutions affect American politics. For some time, analysts have argued that the conflicts of the New Deal era rendered cultural differences trivial and placed economic interests at the top of the political agenda. The authors and their collaborators - John C. Green, James L. Guth, Ted G. Jelen, Corwin E. Smidt, Kenneth D. Wald, Michael R. Welch, and Clyde Wilcox - disagree. They find that religious worldviews are still insinuated in American political institutions, and religious institutions still are points of reference. The book profits from the new religiosity measures employed in the 1990 National Election Studies. Part 1 discusses the study of religion in the context of politics. Part II examines religion as a source of group orientation. Part III takes up religious practices and their political ramifications. Part IV does the same for doctrinal and worldview considerations. Part V explores the sources of religious socialisation. In conclusion, Part VI reviews the research on religion and political behaviour and looks ahead to where work should proceed.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|50 pages
Why Study Religion in the Context of Politics
part II|68 pages
Religion as an Orientation toward Group
part III|56 pages
Religion as a Set of Public and Private Practices
part IV|58 pages
Doctrinal, Experiential, and Worldview Measures
part V|38 pages
Leadership Stimuli and Reference Groups
part VI|34 pages
Does Religion Matter in Studies of Voting Behavior and Attitudes?