The Politics of Evangelical Identity (ebook)

Argumento de The Politics of Evangelical Identity (ebook)

"The Politics of Evangelical Identity is a bracing corrective to the perception of evangelicals as theological stooges mesmerized by the spell of conservative masterminds. Bean persuasively argues that the appeal of conservatives in the evangelical base has far more to do with how they connect the political to everyday spiritual and religious practices. Her path-clearing and transformative book brilliantly engages the political perspectives, moral passions, and religious beliefs of evangelicals from a practical, grounded perspective."--Michael Eric Dyson, Georgetown University

"The Politics of Evangelical Identity is a very important book, a truly original and deeply insightful exploration of why America's white evangelical Christians allied with the political Right to a degree that evangelicals in other countries have not. Writing with flair, respect, and understanding, Bean shows how American evangelicals have woven political conservatism into the fabric of everyday religious life. This book should permanently alter how both its friends and its critics view the Religious Right."--E. J. Dionne, Jr., author of Souled Out and Our Divided Political Heart

"The question of how evangelicals will vote has become increasingly important in recent elections. In her insightful and well-researched book, The Politics of Evangelical Identity, Lydia Bean explores how political forces have influenced and re-formed an American evangelical identity from the grassroots. Anyone who is serious about understanding evangelicals' political participation should read this book."--Jim Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners

"This is an outstanding comparative study of how evangelical Protestants learn to make their politics comport with their religious identity. Bean’s exemplary, close-up observation shows us the subtle yet powerful cues that church settings communicate to worshippers about how to understand, and filter, the larger public world. Challenging existing understandings of the Christian Right in America, The Politics of Evangelical Identity delivers news of the utmost importance for scholars of conservative religion and politics."--Paul Lichterman, author of Elusive Togetherness: Church Groups Trying to Bridge America’s Divisions

"Bean is really doing something quite subtle and original in showing the connection between partisan coalition building and the different ways in which religious narratives and practices are linked (or not linked) with explicit partisan projects and identifications. The case material is wonderful and extremely rich. Some of the findings here are genuinely surprising."--Ann Mische, author of Partisan Publics: Communication and Contention across Brazilian Youth Activist Networks

"Bean’s work is refreshing. Not only does she offer a persuasive alternative to prevailing theories on the relationship between evangelicals and politics, she does so in a clear and compelling way, drawing on a trove of original evidence obtained via diligent, on-the-ground research. The Politics of Evangelical Identity is required reading for anyone looking to make sense of the connection between evangelicals and politics in North America and should be part of this conversation for the foreseeable future."--Daniel Bennett, Journal of Church and State0Timeline vii
Preface and Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Comparing Evangelicals in the United States and Canada 20
Chapter 2 The Boundaries of Evangelical Identity 45
Chapter 3 Two American Churches: Partisanship without Politics 62
Chapter 4 Two Canadian Churches: Civil Religion in Exile 88
Chapter 5 Evangelicals, Economic Conservatism, and National Identity 112
Chapter 6 Captains in the Culture War 133
Chapter 7 The Boundaries of Political Diversity in Two U.S. Congregations 166
Chapter 8 Practicing Civility in Two Canadian Congregations 193
Conclusion Politics and Lived Religion 221
Methodological Appendix: Ethnographic Methods 227
Notes 235
Bibliography 275
Index 307