Onward Christian Soldiers?, 4th Edition: The Religious Right in American Politics

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.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Preface 1 Introduction: The Christian Right in Context What Is the Christian Right? The Controversy The First Amendment and Church and State Religion and Politics in America A Culture War? Conclusion and Overview of the Book 2 Revivals and Revolution: The Christian Right in Twentieth-Century America The Fundamentalist Religious Revolt The Fundamentalist Political Revolt The Anticommunist Crusades The Fundamentalist Right of the 1980s The Robertson Campaign The Christian Right, 1920--1990: Continuity and Change A Second Coming? The Christian Right, 1990--2004 The Passing of the Guard: The Christian Right After 2004 The Target Constituency of the Christian Right Conclusion 3 The Christian Right in American Politics The Christian Right in the First Decade of the New Millennium Christian Right Action in Electoral Politics Lobbying Government Conclusion 4 Assessing the Christian Right Why Do People Support or Join the Christian Right? The Christian Right and American Democracy The Christian Right Agenda: Is It Radical or Mainstream? Conclusion 5 The Future of the Christian Right Can the Christian Right Expand? Can the Christian Right Come to Power? Premillennialists in the New Millennium Conclusion Discussion Questions Glossary Notes References Index

About the Author :
Clyde Wilcox is professor of government at Georgetown University. He has published a number of books on religion and politics in the United States and abroad, and on interest group politics, including Interest Groups in American Elections: The New Face of Electioneering and The Values Campaign: The Christian Right in the 2004 Elections. He also writes on gender politics, campaign finance, and the politics of science fiction.Carin Robinson is assistant professor of political science at Hood College. She has published articles about religion and the Bush presidency, the lobbying of religious groups in state elections, and on evangelicals in American politics.

Review :
"At a time when the significance of the Christian Right has become harder to discern thanks to recent political developments, Wilcox and Robinson provide an informed and insightful account of this long-lived social movement. Readers of this new edition will find the same balance, fair-mindedness and wisdom that characterized the previous editions. On a subject so often treated polemically, this book remains a welcome corrective." -Kenneth D. Wald, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of Florida "A cogent introduction to the 'religious right' in American politics, now revised and updated. Wilcox and Robinson navigate this complex and controversial subject with skill and fairness, covering the movement's origins, goals, activities, and impact." -John C. Green, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of Akron "Wilcox and Robinson have only improved what was already a classic text. Onward Christian Soldiers? remains the 'must read' work on the Christian Right. However, it is not only an excellent introduction to the Christian Right movement; it also poses many challenging questions about the role of religion in American politics-and society." -David E. Campbell, John Cardinal O'Hara, C.S.C. Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame