RELIGION & POLITICS IN UNITED STATES 7ED - Softcover

Wald, Kenneth D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1442225548 ISBN 13: 9781442225541

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014

Synopsis

From marriage equality, to gun control, to immigration reform and the threat of war, religion plays a fascinating and crucial part in our nation's political process and in our culture at large. Now in its seventh edition, Religion and Politics in the United States includes analyses of the nation's most pressing political matters regarding religious freedom, and the ways in which that essential constitutional freedom situates itself within modern America.

The book also explores the ways that religion has affected the orientation of partisan politics in the United States. Through a detailed review of the political attitudes and behaviors of major religious and minority faith traditions, the book establishes that religion continues to be a major part of the American cultural and political milieu while explaining that it must interact with many other factors to influence political outcomes in the United States.

About this title

About the Author:

Kenneth D. Wald is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida, Gainesville.

Allison Calhoun-Brown is associate professor of political science at Georgia State University.

Review:

This book is an excellent and thorough guide to religion and politics in the United States, and would be useful for any student or interested reader. . . .Wald and Allison provide a detailed and almost forensic examination of the ways in which religion interacts with politics. (Faith and Freedom)

[This book is an] introductory college [textbook] on the subject of religion and politics in the United States. [This book takes] a serious social science approach to religion . . . [The] new [edition] incorporate[s] and reflect[s] recent research and emerging trends; [it is] well written; [it covers] the major topics and use[s] tables and illustrations well; and . . . could be successfully used in the classroom. . . .[I]t provides theoretical groundings to contextualize the material, and second, it is simply . . . engaging. . . .Wald takes time to situate individual discussions within [large] contexts and thus to provide ways to make sense out of the wealth of information and to appreciate its importance. . . . [Religion and Politics in the United States is] excellent and worthy of serious consideration. Professors of religion and politics are fortunate to have [this] extremely worthy [choice], and students will be well served. (Journal of Church and State)

I look forward to the seventh edition of Religion and Politics in the United States. Having used the fifth and sixth editions in my class, it is reassuring to know that Wald and Calhoun are keeping pace with the dynamic, ever-changing political impact of religion in our pluralistic society. Their research is thorough, current, and prudently balanced, providing a comprehensive perspective on this significant topic while, at the same time, recognizing the interaction of religion with many other factors. (James O'Hara, Professor of Political Science, Queens College of the City University of New York)

This book provides an excellent foundation for why religion in politics matters in the United States today. The authors use a wide range of sources in explaining why and how the U.S. is exceptional in the impact of religion in politics and on society more generally. The text references a wide array of primary source documents, U.S. Supreme Court cases, and public opinion data, all of which helps students explore religion and politics through multiple lenses. The text provides an excellent foundation to be used in different course modalities, such as on-line and face-to-face in that the text is strong as a stand-alone text, but is also flexible enough to complement outside readings and other materials. (Terri Fine, Associate Director, Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government, University of Central Florida)

This new edition of Wald and Calhoun-Brown’s classic text retains all the strengths of earlier editions, yet with crucial updates to data on court cases, election results, and the political impulses of the many different denominations engaged in political discourse. Along the way the authors’ analysis of the interplay between religious values and secular ones in the American political arena is enlightening and even surprising. They don’t force their conclusions, but let the data speak for itself. (Richard Foster, Fort Lewis College)

Religion and Politics in the United States offers a comprehensive survey of the complex relationship between religion and politics in America. It provides an empirically rich up-to-date portrait of public opinion regarding morally or religiously based issues and variations in attitudes among religious groups toward these issues. It also shows how attitudes have changed over time. The authors situate their discussion in a balanced review of competing theories about the status of religion and the role it plays in the politics of advanced democracies, and give particular attention to explanations of why the U.S. is different. Moreover, they provide a nuanced deliberation of both the positive and ill effects of religion on American democracy. It is an invaluable text for both students and scholars of religion and politics in the U.S. (Goldie Shabad, Political Science, Ohio State University)

Religion and Politics in the United States is the best single analysis of the topic to be found. It carefully covers the various ways in which politics and religion are implicated by each other, incorporating a wealth of data which are analyzed with great clarity. The research literature on which Wald and Calhoun-Brown draw is completely documented to facilitate further research, and the book is nicely written. Undergraduate students manage it easily, but it will also serve well graduate students and others looking for a comprehensive treatment of this area of study. (F. David Levenbach, Arkansas State University)

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1442225548
• ISBN 13: 9781442225541
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496