The Role of Religion in American Politics Research Approaches

Religion and American Politics. Domestic and International Contexts, 2024

The book presents a broad international and interdisciplinary perspective on the role of religion in American politics (both domestic and international). It is a result of cooperation between Jagiellonian University scholars and an international group of academics, including renowned American specialists, who study the intersection between religion and American politics. Coming not only from the USA, but also from Israel, Spain, Hungary, Poland and the Palestinian territories, the authors provide a unique international perspective on how the USA deals with issues on the intersection of religion and politics and how it is perceived around the world. The contributors are: Elad Ben David, Emily R. Gill, James L. Guth, Jajuan S. Johnson, Lyman A. Kellstedt, Sebastian Kubas, Michael McLaughlin, Husam Mohamad, Paulina Napierała, Brent F. Nelsen, Karoly Pinter, Cristobal Serran-Pagan y Fuentes, and Jerold Waltman.

Religions, 2014

Past findings and theory in the sociology of religion support two opposing perspectives concerning the influence of religion on American politics. Looking from within the United States, the commanding influence of religion on political rhetoric and voting patterns seems apparent. From a global perspective, the role that religion plays in American politics is less clear; in fact, one could argue that our political institutions are decidedly secular. I present support for both of these perspectives before turning to an international analysis of images of God using the Gallup World Poll. These data indicate the uniqueness of American religiosity and suggest that the ways in which religion affect politics in the United States is unusual for a post-industrial country. Namely, many Americans understand God as a political actor; because of this, American political culture mixes religious and political language with fervor, all while keeping church and state institutions separate.

Journal of Church and State, 2009

Although there has been much speculation about the way that religion shapes American attitudes on foreign policy, there are few empirical analyses of that influence. This paper draws on a large national sample of the public in 2008 to classify religious groups on Eugene Wittkopf's (1990) classic dimensions of foreign policy attitudes, militant internationalism and cooperative internationalism. We find rather different religious constituencies for each dimension and demonstrate the influence of ethnoreligious and theological factors on both. Combining the two dimensions, we show that American religious groups occupy different locations in Wittkopf's hardliner, internationalist, accommodationist, and isolation-ist camps.

The intersection of religion with politics remains an important topic in political science from the earliest times. Some observers argue that there is a wall of separation between these two entities, others say that separation is impossible since religion is a part of human life and believing in something is what differentiates us from other creatures. It is hard to decide who is right but it is obvious that there must be some boundaries defining what role religion and politics should play in each other’s realms and what influence they can make on each other.

The objective of this course is to help students understand the historical significance and continued relevance of religion in American political life. Students will be asked to critically examine the interplay of religion and politics through class discussion and the writing of four papers rooted in close textual analysis of the required reading. The course is divided into four units. The first section will explore the contemporary debates concerning the First Amendment through the lens of the Founding Fathers. The second part will examine one of the classics of American political thought, Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America. The third section will survey how religion has affected American political life during three particular historical moments (the Civil War, the immigration of Catholics and Jews in the late nineteenth century, and the Civil Rights Movement). The course concludes with contemporary reflections on the state of the so-called culture wars.

The study attempts to examine the role of religion in US politics and explains the origin and history of Evangelicals (a Protestant Christian Movement) and their influence on US domestic and foreign policy with particular emphasis on Evangelicalism in the post 9/11 period. One There is no shortage of disagreement in scholarship negating the impact of religion on US policymaking. Nevertheless, the acknowledgment of influence of religion in politics remains largely undiminished. To begin with, the US history reveals that religion has had a significant influence on US public and political life since the early colonial times when German and English settlers came to America in search of religious freedom. Scholars have responded in a number of ways about religion's role in US politics. It is important to note that American public life is neither wholly secular nor wholly religious but an increasingly changing mix of the two. History shows that trouble tended to come when one of these forces grew too powerful in proportion to the other, 1 and the trends in US foreign policy, on most occasions, clearly show this tendency. Patrick Henry presents the counter argument; 'it cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not only by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ'. 2 This point is also sustained by James Bryce, an intellectual of the British Liberal Party in 1880 that clergymen were the first influential citizens in the US. They not only had authority in churches but also emphasized on the moral reformation of the society. They slowly enlarged their sphere of influence beyond their churches; so much that in 1900, around 650 full-time and 2200 part-time Evangelists were touring the country. 3 Other scholars, claiming that American religiosity was too vigorous a force to be kept within its limits, support the above arguments. The US foreign policy was never beyond the reach of religious influence. 4

This analysis is about religious political influences in America. There is a concern that the American polity is under threat by the religious movement as a formidable political force. This force poses a potential threat to the principle of separation of state and church. This paper studies the Evangelical Church and its effects on American politics. It is about to present its potential of how the church’s doctrine and ideology could transform the American politics by affecting the presidential elections. We already have observed their ideological impact on the US foreign policies, particularly towards the Middle East.

Religion and Politics in the United States examines the relationships between Americans' ultimate values, beliefs, and practices and Americans' involvement in public affairs. We will look at different ways that relationship has been conceptualized, historically. We will look at different ways it has been lived, too. The class will explore the historical conflicts and complications of that relationship, the interactions, intersections, and inter-connections. This is not a survey course, but will instead focus on four specific areas. First, we will look at how some of America's Founding Fathers thought about the role of religion in public affairs. Second, we will examine a range of political theology, considering how mainline Protestants, Catholics, evangelicals, and anabaptists have thought about politics in the context of the Christian life. Third, we will look at the U.S. Presidency, and the place of religion in the Oval Office. Finally, we will look at one historical movement, where a religious group, white evangelicals, transformed into a political bloc, the religious right.

The William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal, 2005

WILLIAM & MARY BILL OF RIGHTS JOURNAL planned events, the three broadcast networks and really all of the media covered in great depth the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI. For two weeks, the Catholic Church dominated the airwaves. Liberals are viewing this religious surge with alarm. 6 Other observers will say that this rumor of religion is a media creation 7 and that political matters have not changed all that much. There is some truth in such denials. Religion has always played a large part in American political life. The 2004 Presidential election was hardly a complete break with the past. Conversely, the religiosity of the American people can easily be overstated, as the generally negative public reaction to the Relief of the Parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo Act' suggested. America is not a theocracy. 9 Nevertheless, religion is a political force Christianity, Answers in Action (2004), available at http://answers.org/peteijennings and_ jesus.html (last visited Sept. 11, 2005) (critiquing the alleged liberal and secular bias of the documentary).