Right-wing evangelical Christianity has come to dominate American political and social life in recent years, dividing the country and sparking cultural and moral battles. High politics and low tactics frame a fierce debate which goes much further back in the country’s history than the accession of George W. Bush in 2001. It’s a battle that sears America’s soul and affects the world. In this book Stephen Bates explains why what happens in the Bible Belt matters to us and how there are those who hope to export the battle to Britain.
American fundamentalist religion has the potential to impact on crucial and acutely dangerous areas of the world. Its priorities are often arcane and sometimes weird. But it is already affecting American government policy at home and abroad: not least in Israel and the Middle East. How is religion affecting the current presidential elections and where will America’s battle for its soul take the world next?
American fundamentalist religion has the potential to impact on crucial and acutely dangerous areas of the world. Its priorities are often arcane and sometimes weird. But it is already affecting American government policy at home and abroad: not least in Israel and the Middle East. How is religion affecting the current presidential elections and where will America’s battle for its soul take the world next?
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Reviews
An essential read.
With a Presidential election coming up, Bates's observations provide a fascinating, sometimes disturbing, backdrop to the good fight ahead [US elections].
Bates's account of American religious life is detailed, accurate and engaging...
This tour of the wilder shores of US evangelism engages seriously with its ideas....
This is the best book on the religious politics of the USA thats come out for years. Once again, Stephen Bates gets it right.
[Stephen Bates] is one of the most perceptive observers of religion in America -- on either side of the Atlantic.
Insightful, knowledgeable and at times a bit frightening . . . Bates reveals a social and political force with influence on the world stage that cannot be ignored.
I could not wait for this book to come out and it does not disappoint.
Bates drove across the Bible Belt to write this book and packs it with a journalist's eye for detail and a good story ... It's a remarkable achievement; vivid, eloquent and vital for anyone wishing trying to understand the soul of the most powerful nation on earth.
intriguing material
A fascinating insight into the history and political influence of the Religious Right in the USA