How did America's white evangelicals, from often progressive history, come to right-wing populism? Addressing populism requires understanding how its historico-cultural roots ground present politics. How have the very qualities that contributed much to American vibrancy-an anti-authoritarian government-wariness and energetic community-building-turned, under conditions of distress, to defensive, us-them worldviews?

Readers will gain an understanding of populism and of the socio-political and religious history from which populism draws its us-them policies and worldview. The book ponders the tragic cast of the white evangelical story: (i) the distorting effects of economic and way-of-life duress on the understanding of history and present circumstances and (ii) the tragedy of choosing us-them solutions to duress that won't relieve it, leaving the duress in place. Readers will trace the trajectory from economic, status loss, and way-of-life duresses to solutions in populist, us-them binaries. They will explore the robust white evangelical contribution to civil society but also to racism, xenophobia, and sexism. White evangelicals not in the ranks of the right-their worldview and activism-are discussed in a final chapter.

This book is valuable reading for students of political and social sciences as well as anyone interested in US politics.

Author: Marcia Pally
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 09/15/2023
Series: Routledge Focus on Religion
Pages: 140
Weight: 0.4lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.32d
ISBN: 9781032134833

About the Author

Marcia Pally teaches at New York University, USA, and held the Mercator Guest Professorship in the Theology Faculty at Humboldt University-Berlin, Germany, where she remains an annual guest professor.