Prophetic Politics: Christian Social Movements and American Democracy - Hardcover

"In this timely and well-researched book, Gutterman examines the role of Christianity in American political life with a particular focus on four Christian social movements in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. . . . With a highly commendable approach that is respectful of differing positions, Gutterman stresses the 'sacred story' of Exodus as a common thread running through American history." Richard Deats, History News Network, 11 September 2005" "Gutterman's . . . persuasive analysis will change your estimate of the Bible's flexible vitality as a source of calls to transformation. Gutterman, a political scientist at Linfield College with an ethical bent, is concerned about the compatibility between religious discourse and democratic practice and this defines his book's timely relevance. . . . As much as any book I know, Gutterman's succeeds in clearly disarming stereotypes that relate to biblical story telling and democratic values. Its Exodus-focused analysis of four movements breaks new ground in telling us how to listen to political messages. Prophetic Politics belongs in every library that covers religious studies or American culture." John Shelton Lawrence, Journal of American Culture, March 2006" "A more timely book is hard to imagine. Guided by sound research, avoiding stereotypical positions, David S. Gutterman gives the reader an original new way to look at issues that concern nothing less than the soul and moral future of America." Amitai Etzioni, author of The New Golden Rule" "If anyone needed proof of the hold that the chosen-nation myth has had on the United States, David S. Gutterman's book, with its balanced and insightful reading of this myth's appeal, will be a convincing and thoughtful guide to the enduring influence of religion on America. And for anyone wanting to consider how this myth has enriched and impoverished democratic politics in the United States, Prophetic Politics covers important episodes in American politics and provides judicious assessments. This book will certainly be valuable to those trying to understand the recent resurgence of evangelical Protestantism in American public life." D. G. Hart, Director of Fellowship Programs and Scholar-in-Residence, Intercollegiate Studies Institute" "David S. Gutterman raises an important challenge to perspectives in democratic theory that view religious-political expression as incompatible with democratic action. Gutterman's emphasis on the malleability of religious narratives provides a salutary contrast to the narrow argument that defines religious expression as the declaration of absolute truth-claims. Gutterman also draws attention to the major significance of narratives related to the Book of Exodus for some influential political discourses in the United States." Paul Apostolidis, Whitman College" "David S. Gutterman presents a nuanced account of the American religious forces that have wielded such a disproportionate influence in American politics and culture without denigrating the value of religion in the 'public square.' His work, which calls for sophisticated debate, is a timely wake-up call for those who ignore the power and influence of the New Christian Right at their own peril." Glenn W. Shuck, author of Marks of the Beast: The"Left Behind" Novels and the Struggle for Evangelical Identity and Assistant Professor of Religion at Williams College"

"In an era of military conflict and economic hardship, religious and political leaders adamantly speak in the language of crisis. Whether one attributes this public religious fervor to a response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, millennial hopes and fears, a sense of moral decay (generally based on either growing economic inequality or the 'breakdown of the American family'), or a sign of the normal progression of the stages of history, the discourse of religious revival is increasingly prominent. And, as is amply evident in the United States and throughout the world, devout declarations of religious belief in the public sphere can bring intractable passions to politics." from Chapter 1What are the relationships among religion, politics, and narratives? What makes prophetic political narratives congenial or hostile to democratic political life? David S. Gutterman explores the prophetic politics of four twentieth- and twenty-first-century American Christian social movements: the Reverend Billy Sunday and his vision of "muscular Christianity"; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights movement; the conservative Christian male organization Promise Keepers; and the progressive antipoverty organization Call to Renewal. Gutterman develops a theory based on the work of Hannah Arendt and others and employs this framework to analyze expressions of the prophetic impulse in the political narrative of the United States. In the process, he examines timely issues about the tense and intricate relationship between religion and politics. Even prior to George W. Bush's faith-based initiative, debates about abortion, family values, welfare reform, and environmental degradation were informed by religious language and ideas. In an interdisciplinary and accessible manner, Gutterman translates the narratives employed by American Christian social movements to define both the crises in the land and the path to resolving these crises. The book also explores the engagement of these prophetic social movements in contentious political issues concerned with sex, gender, sexuality, race, and class, as well as broader questions of American identity."