Religion and politics in America faith culture and strategic choices

Religion and politics are never far from the headlines, but their relationship remains complex and often confusing. In this significantly revised third edition ofReligion and Politics in America, the authors offer an accessible and balanced treatment of religion in American politics. They explore the historical, cultural, and legal contexts that underlie religious engagement while also highlighting the pragmatic and strategic political realities that religious organizations and people face. Incorporating the best and most up-to-date scholarship, the authors assess the politics of Roman Catholics; evangelical, mainline, and African American Protestants; Jews; Muslims and other conventional and not-so-conventional American religious movements. The work examines important subjects concerning religion and its relationship to gender, race, and class. The treatment of recent voting behavior provides an in-depth understanding for students of how religion and politics relate in practice. These core topics, along with specific contemporary case studies, useful focus-study boxes, and new emphases on Islam, Latinos, international affairs, and popular culture, further enhance this third edition for courses in political science, religion, and sociology departments.