Corwin E. Smidt

Provides an overview of evangelical Protestants in the U.S. that describes this group's history, size, social characteristics, religious and social practices, and political views, and considers how they compare to other religious groups.

American Evangelicals Today

James L. Guth

William R Kenan Chair and Professor of Political Science James L Guth

John C. Green

Lyman A. Kellstedt

Margaret M. Poloma

Drawing on two decades of survey research involving thousands of ministers nationwide, five social scientists explore the political lives of clergy in eight evangelical and mainline Protestant denominations, including the Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist Convention, United Methodist Church, and Presbyterian Church. They find that the competing theological perspectives of orthodoxy and modernism are increasingly tied to ideological and partisan divisions in American politics, and help illuminate the current relationship between church and state in America. Paper edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The Politics of Protestant Clergy

The Bully Pulpit

While Robert Putnam'sBowling Alone(2000) highlighted the notion of volunteerism, little attention has been paid to religion's role in generating social capital - an ironic omission since religion constitutes the most common form of voluntary association in America today. Featuring essays by prominent social scientists, this is the first book-length systematic examination of the relationship between religion and social capital and what effects religious social capital has on democratic life in the United States.

Corwin E. Smidt

Books

Your next favorite book is out there