Download or read book Contemporary Evangelical Political Involvement written by Corwin E. Smidt and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Jesus and Justice written by Peter Goodwin Heltzel and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-21 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely book investigates the increasing visibility and influence of evangelical Christians in recent American politics with a focus on racial justice. Peter Goodwin Heltzel considers four evangelical social movements: Focus on the Family, the National Association of Evangelicals, Christian Community Development Association, and Sojourners. The political motives and actions of evangelical groups are founded upon their conceptions of Jesus Christ, Heltzel contends. He traces the roots of contemporary evangelical politics to the prophetic black Christianity tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the socially engaged evangelical tradition of Carl F. H. Henry. Heltzel shows that the basic tenets of King's and Henry's theologies have led their evangelical heirs toward a prophetic evangelicalism in a shade of blue green--blue symbolizing the tragedy of black suffering in the Americas, and green symbolizing the hope of a prophetic evangelical engagement with poverty, AIDS, and the environment. This fresh theological understanding of evangelical political groups shines new light on the ways evangelicals shape and are shaped by broader American culture.
Download or read book The New Evangelical Social Engagement written by Brian Steensland and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-11-20 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years evangelical Christians have been increasingly turning their attention toward issues such as the environment, international human rights, economic development, racial reconciliation, and urban renewal. Such engagement marks both a return to historic evangelical social action and a pronounced expansion of the social agenda advanced by the Religious Right in the past few decades. For outsiders to evangelical culture, this trend complicates simplistic stereotypes. For insiders, it brings contention over what "true" evangelicalism means today. Beginning with an introduction that broadly outlines this "new evangelicalism," the editors identify its key elements, trace its historical lineage, account for the recent changes taking place within evangelicalism, and highlight the implications of these changes for politics, civic engagement, and American religion. The essays that follow bring together an impressive interdisciplinary team of scholars to map this new religious terrain and spell out its significance in what is sure to become an essential text for understanding trends in contemporary evangelicalism.
Download or read book A New Engagement written by Robert Booth Fowler and published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. This book was released on 1982 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Modern Political Involvement of Evangelicals in the United States written by Jeffrey D. Meister and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Church State and Citizen written by Sandra F. Joireman and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2009 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Church, State, and Citizen , Sandra F. Joireman has gathered political scientists to examine the relationship between religion and politics as seen from within seven Christian traditions: Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist, Anglican, Evangelical and Pentecostal. In each chapter the historical and theological foundations of the tradition are described along with the beliefs regarding the appropriate role of the state and citizen. --from publisher description
Download or read book Prophetic Activism written by Helene Slessarev-Jamir and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2011-06-13 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the links between conservative Christians and politics have been drawn strongly in recent years, coming to embody what many think of as religious activism, the profoundly religious nature of community organizing and other more left-leaning justice work has been largely overlooked. Prophetic Activism is the first broad comparative examination of progressive religious activism in the United States. Set up as a counter-narrative to religious conservatism, the book offers readers a deeper understanding of the richness and diversity of contemporary religious activism. Helene Slessarev-Jamir offers five case studies of major progressive religious justice movements that have their roots in liberative interpretations of Scripture: congregational community organizing; worker justice; immigrant rights work; peace-making and reconciliation; and global anti-poverty and debt relief. Drawing on intensive interviews with activists at all levels of this work—from pastors and congregational leaders to local organizers and the executive directors of the national networks—she uncovers the ways in which they construct an ethical framework for their work. In addition to looking at predominantly Christian organizations, the book also highlights the growth of progressive activism among Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists who are engaged in reinterpreting their religious texts to support new forms of activism. Religion and Social Transformation series
Download or read book Toward an Evangelical Public Policy written by Ronald J. Sider and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2005-02 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deepens thinking about biblical and other conceptual foundations for political engagement in order to unify and give consistency to evangelicals' involvement in politics.
Download or read book Evangelicals and Immigration written by Ruth M. Melkonian-Hoover and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-10-31 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The topic of immigration is at the center of contemporary politics and, from a scholarly perspective, existing studies have documented that attitudes towards immigration have brought about changes in both partisanship and voting behavior. However, many scholars have missed or misconstrued the role of religion in this transformation, particularly evangelical Protestant Christianity. This book examines the historical and contemporary relationships between religion and immigration politics, with a particularly in-depth analysis of the fault lines within evangelicalism—divisions not only between whites and non-whites, but also the increasingly consequential disconnect between elites and laity within white evangelicalism. The book’s empirical analysis relies on original interviews with Christian leaders, data from original church surveys conducted by the authors, and secondary analysis of several national public opinion surveys. It concludes with suggestions for bridging the elite/laity and racial divides. Ruth M. Melkonian-Hoover: (Ph.D., Emory University) is Chair and Professor of Political Science at Gordon College, Massachusetts. She has contributed chapters to Faith in a Pluralist Age (2018) and Is the Good Book Good Enough? (2011). She has published in a wide range of journals including Social Science Quarterly, The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Latin American Perspectives, Political Research Quarterly, Comment, and Capital Commentary. Lyman A. Kellstedt: (Ph.D., University of Illinois) is Professor of Political Science (emeritus) at Wheaton College, Illinois. He has authored or coauthored numerous articles, book chapters, and books in religion and politics, including Religion and the Culture Wars (1996), The Bully Pulpit (1997), and The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Politics (2009).
Download or read book Scandal of Evangelical Politics The written by Ronald J. Sider and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2008-02 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Scandal of Evangelical Politics provides evangelical Christians with a systematic political philosophy that is balanced and nonpartisan to guide and sustain political activism.
Download or read book Five Views on the Church and Politics written by J. Brian Benestad and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2015-12-15 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn to think deeply about the relationship between church and state in a way that goes beyond mere policy debates and current campaigns. Few topics can grab headlines and stir passions quite like politics, especially when the church is involved. Considering the attention that many Christian parachurch groups, churches, and individual believers give to politics--and of the varying and sometimes divergent political ideals and aims among them--Five Views on the Church and Politics provides a helpful breakdown of the possible Christian approaches to political involvement. General Editor Amy Black brings together five top-notch political theologians in the book, each representing one of the five key political traditions within Christianity: Anabaptist (Separationist: the most limited possible Christian involvement in politics) - represented by Thomas Heilke Lutheran (Paradoxical: strong separation of church and state) – represented by Robert Benne Black Church (Prophetic: the church's mission is to be a voice for communal reform) – represented by Bruce Fields Reformed (Transformationist: emphasizes God's sovereignty over all things, including churches and governments) – represented by James K. A. Smith Catholic (Synthetic: encouragement of political participation as a means to further the common good of all people) – represented by J. Brian Benestad Each author addresses his tradition's theological distinctives, the role of government, the place of individual Christian participation in government and politics, and how churches should (or should not) address political questions. Responses by each contributor to opposing views will highlight key areas of difference and disagreement. Thorough and even-handed, Five Views on the Church and Politics will enable readers to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the most significant Christian views on political engagement and to draw their own, informed conclusions.
Download or read book The Good of Politics Engaging Culture written by James W. Skillen and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2014-03-18 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this addition to the acclaimed Engaging Culture series, a highly respected author and Christian thinker offers a principled, biblical perspective on engaging political culture as part of one's calling. James Skillen believes that constructive Christian engagement depends on the belief that those made in the image of God are created not only for family life, agriculture, education, science, industry, and the arts but also for building political communities, justly ordered for the common good. He argues that God made us to be royal stewards of public governance from the outset and that the biblical story of God's creation, judgment, and redemption of all things in Jesus Christ has everything to do with politics and government. In this irenic, nonpartisan treatment of an oft-debated topic, Skillen critically assesses current political realities and helps readers view responsibility in the political arena as a crucial dimension of the Christian faith.
Download or read book The Future of Religion in American Politics written by Charles Dunn and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2010-09-12 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Should parents receive vouchers to send their children to religious schools? What limits—if any—should the government place on abortion? Should the government permit and fund stem cell research? Should religious organizations have the right to prohibit the employment of homosexuals? Should public schools teach both creationism and evolution? How does religion influence our political stances on gay marriage? The death penalty? Immigration? The issues are real. The emotions are intense. The solutions are difficult to reach and often problematic. From the White House to the courthouse, from governors’ mansions to the United States Supreme Court, religion factors into many contemporary legal controversies. Efforts to establish the proper balance between church and state create heated debates in America and raise seemingly insoluble questions. Politicians and their advisers walk a fine line when addressing religious issues in an increasingly pluralistic society where religious factions attempt to impose their values on the electoral and legislative processes. The Future of Religion in American Politics presents thoughtful, wide-ranging essays by twelve eminent public intellectuals and scholars, offering rich and stimulating views on one of the most divisive issues of our time. Editor Charles W. Dunn and the contributors assess the impact of religion on American politics in four distinct time periods: the founding, the Civil War, the New Deal era, and the modern era. Dunn out lines seven propositions that characterize the interaction of religion and politics during these time periods and describes how and why religion continues to influence politics in America. Contributors to this volume argue that whereas religion in the founding era held society together in a shared belief of the biblical portrayal of humanity, today’s pluralistic religious interpretations of God appear to be tearing society apart. The rise of Islam and other world religions poses perplexing questions about the issue of tolerance. Can America survive as a free society without commonly accepted morals that are based in religion? Is America a secular society with a clear separation of church and state, or a government created and informed by ever-changing religious values? The Future of Religion in American Politics includes essays about religion in the public square, evangelical, and faith-based politics in presidential elections. The authors investigate many thought–provoking questions about the extent of religious influence in the U.S. government today and its likely impact in the future. Lucid and accessible, this book covers a wide range of issues and will be invaluable to students of politics, religious studies, and history.
Download or read book Immigrants Evangelicals and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change written by Janelle S. Wong and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As immigration from Asia and Latin America reshapes the demographic composition of the U.S., some analysts have anticipated the decline of conservative white evangelicals’ influence in politics. Yet, Donald Trump captured a larger share of the white evangelical vote in the 2016 election than any candidate in the previous four presidential elections. Why has the political clout of white evangelicals persisted at a time of increased racial and ethnic diversity? In Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change, political scientist Janelle Wong examines a new generation of Asian American and Latino evangelicals and offers an account of why demographic change has not contributed to a political realignment. Asian Americans and Latinos currently constitute 13 percent of evangelicals, and their churches are among the largest, fastest growing organizations in their communities. While evangelical identity is associated with conservative politics, Wong draws from national surveys and interviews to show that non-white evangelicals express political attitudes that are significantly less conservative than those of their white counterparts. Black, Asian American, and Latino evangelicals are much more likely to support policies such as expanded immigration rights, increased taxation of the wealthy, and government interventions to slow climate change. As Wong argues, non-white evangelicals’ experiences as members of racial or ethnic minority groups often lead them to adopt more progressive political views compared to their white counterparts. However, despite their growth in numbers, non-white evangelicals—particularly Asian Americans and Latinos—are concentrated outside of swing states, have lower levels of political participation than white evangelicals, and are less likely to be targeted by political campaigns. As a result, white evangelicals dominate the evangelical policy agenda and are overrepresented at the polls. Also, many white evangelicals have adopted even more conservative political views in response to rapid demographic change, perceiving, for example, that discrimination against Christians now rivals discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities. Wong demonstrates that immigrant evangelicals are neither “natural” Republicans nor “natural” Democrats. By examining the changing demographics of the evangelical movement, Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change sheds light on an understudied constituency that has yet to find its political home.
Download or read book Representing God written by Méadhbh McIvor and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Over the past two decades, increasing numbers of Britons possessing Christian views and beliefs have taken to the courts to enforce what are framed as "religious rights" under both European and domestic legislation. These cases typically involve Christians who have been penalized for seeking faith-based exemptions from their conditions of employment - e.g. Christian registrars who claim a conscientious objection to registering the marriages or civil partnerships of same-sex couples, or employees who ask for exceptions to uniform policies that forbid the visible wearing of religious jewellery (crosses and crucifixes). Observers of American politics and culture will be familiar with the view that devout Christians are victims of secular intolerance. American right-wing evangelical groups have launched well-funded legal challenges to federal and state laws with a view to establishing opt-out or conscientious objection provisions of the sort noted above. (Some of these cases will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court soon.) The American connection to the English controversies is direct, as the legal activism of English lobby organizations such as the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) is inspired by American conservative legal strategies - and CLC also receives donations from American sources. (Although it should be noted that most of CLC's donor base is English.) This is an especially delicate matter in England - a country which maintains an established Church but which remains wary of those who "do God" in public. This book is an ethnographic investigation of this contemporary issue and is based on the author's two years of ethnographic research split between a conservative Christian lobby group (CLC) and a conservative evangelical church in London. The author reveals that evangelicals on the ground are deeply ambivalent about the impact of this "legal theology". Although some wholeheartedly support the legal battles waged by organizations like CLC and see them as essential for allowing them to discharge their missionary obligations, others are concerned about the possible negative consequences of using secular law as a vehicle for their faith and the potential damage such legal strategies might do to their efforts to spread the Gospel"--
Download or read book The Politics of Revelation and Reason written by John G. West and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, controversies over abortion, school prayer, and religious cults have raised new questions about the delicate balance between church and state, between true believers and civic authority. John West shows that America's Founders had already anticipated and answered such questions by carefully defining religion's proper role in politics. West sheds new light on how the Founders tried to solve this fundamental theological-political problem and shows to what extent their solution worked in practice in the early decades of the new nation. West contends that the Founders and their immediate successors encouraged religion to play a dynamic, positive role in politics. This was not surprising, he argues, because in that era both church and state supported civic authority through a shared moral vision. This can clearly be seen, West demonstrates, in Christian political activism from the election of 1800 to 1835--a period that witnessed evangelical challenges to Cherokee removal, the delivery of Sunday mail, dueling, and other practices evangelicals deemed inconsistent with the moral order. These reform-minded evangelicals, West argues, were the period's most politically active religious adherents and thus provided the most stringent test of the Founders' attempts to devise a solution to the theological-political problem. Illuminating these neglected episodes in the history of religion and politics, West adds enormously to our understanding of early American church-state conflict. As such, his book will be enlightening for anyone interested in the political role of religion in America's past, evangelical religion in contemporary politics, and the current "culture wars."
Download or read book Politics According to the Bible written by Wayne A. Grudem and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2010-09-28 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Should Christians be involved in political issues? This comprehensive and readable book presents a political philosophy from the perspective that the Gospel pertains to all of life, including politics. Politics—According to the Bible is an in-depth analysis of conservative and liberal plans to do good for the nation, evaluated in light of the Bible and common sense. Evangelical Bible professor, and author of the bestselling book Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem unpacks and rejects five common views about Christian influence on politics: "compel religion," "exclude religion," "all government is demonic," "do evangelism, not politics," and "do politics, not evangelism." Instead, he defends a position of "significant Christian influence on government" and explains the Bible's teachings about the purpose of civil government and the characteristics of good or bad governments. Grudem provides a thoughtful analysis of over fifty specific and current political issues dealing with: The protection of life. Marriage, the family, and children. Economic issues and taxation. The environment. National defense Relationships to other nations. Freedom of speech and religion. Quotas. And special interests. Throughout this book, he makes frequent application to the current policies of the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States, but the principles discussed here are relevant for any nation.
