EBOOK
About
Robert Wuthnow is professor of sociology emeritus and former director of the Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University. His many books include What Happens When We Practice Religion? and The Left Behind (both Princeton). He lives in Aldie, Virginia. Twitter @RobertWuthnow
How the actions and advocacy of diverse religious communities in the United States have supported democracy's development during the past century
Does religion benefit democracy? Robert Wuthnow says yes. In Why Religion Is Good for American Democracy, Wuthnow makes his case by moving beyond the focus on unifying values or narratives about culture wars and elections. Rather, he demonstrates that the beneficial contributions of religion are best understood through the lens of religious diversity. The religious composition of the United States comprises many groups, organizations, and individuals that vigorously, and sometimes aggressively, contend for what they believe to be good and true. Unwelcome as this contention can be, it is rarely extremist, violent, or autocratic. Instead, it brings alternative and innovative perspectives to the table, forcing debates about what it means to be a democracy.
Wuthnow shows how American religious diversity works by closely investigating religious advocacy spanning the past century: during the Great Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the debates about welfare reform, the recent struggles for immigrant rights and economic equality, and responses to the coronavirus pandemic. The engagement of religious groups in advocacy and counteradvocacy has sharpened arguments about authoritarianism, liberty of conscience, freedom of assembly, human dignity, citizens' rights, equality, and public health. Wuthnow hones in on key principles of democratic governance and provides a hopeful yet realistic appraisal of what religion can and cannot achieve.
At a time when many observers believe American democracy to be in dire need of revitalization, Why Religion Is Good for American Democracy illustrates how religious groups have contributed to this end and how they might continue to do so despite the many challenges faced by the nation. "A detailed look at religion's role in American democracy." "Robert Wuthnow, one of our era's premier interpreters of American religious life, makes a powerful case for how religion, operating in the context of pluralism and mutual acceptance, 'facilitates the vigorous questioning of entrenched assumptions and the airing of alternative visions of the good.' This thoughtful book also leads readers to ponder how American democracy-at its best and for all its difficulties-is good for religion."-E. J. Dionne Jr., author of Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country "In Why Religion Is Good for American Democracy, Robert Wuthnow demonstrates in absorbing detail how the 'agonistic pluralism' of modern American religion has repeatedly challenged, enlivened, and enriched American democracy from the New Deal to the COVID-19 crisis. A convincing challenge to those who find religion a burden on public life."-Kenneth L. Woodward, author of Getting Religion: Faith, Culture, and Politics from the Age of Eisenhower to the Ascent of Trump "With characteristic acuity and insight, Robert Wuthnow offers a wholesale reinterpretation of the relation between religion and American democracy. Attending closely to an array of religious actors and movements, he illuminates how religion's competing claims are part of democracy's constant reinvention. Wuthnow's provocative, groundbreaking analysis stresses the positive value of religious disunity and conflict, compelling us to rethink the substance and value of religious diversity."-R. Marie Griffith, author of Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics
How the actions and advocacy of diverse religious communities in the United States have supported democracy's development during the past century
Does religion benefit democracy? Robert Wuthnow says yes. In Why Religion Is Good for American Democracy, Wuthnow makes his case by moving beyond the focus on unifying values or narratives about culture wars and elections. Rather, he demonstrates that the beneficial contributions of religion are best understood through the lens of religious diversity. The religious composition of the United States comprises many groups, organizations, and individuals that vigorously, and sometimes aggressively, contend for what they believe to be good and true. Unwelcome as this contention can be, it is rarely extremist, violent, or autocratic. Instead, it brings alternative and innovative perspectives to the table, forcing debates about what it means to be a democracy.
Wuthnow shows how American religious diversity works by closely investigating religious advocacy spanning the past century: during the Great Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the debates about welfare reform, the recent struggles for immigrant rights and economic equality, and responses to the coronavirus pandemic. The engagement of religious groups in advocacy and counteradvocacy has sharpened arguments about authoritarianism, liberty of conscience, freedom of assembly, human dignity, citizens' rights, equality, and public health. Wuthnow hones in on key principles of democratic governance and provides a hopeful yet realistic appraisal of what religion can and cannot achieve.
At a time when many observers believe American democracy to be in dire need of revitalization, Why Religion Is Good for American Democracy illustrates how religious groups have contributed to this end and how they might continue to do so despite the many challenges faced by the nation. "A detailed look at religion's role in American democracy." "Robert Wuthnow, one of our era's premier interpreters of American religious life, makes a powerful case for how religion, operating in the context of pluralism and mutual acceptance, 'facilitates the vigorous questioning of entrenched assumptions and the airing of alternative visions of the good.' This thoughtful book also leads readers to ponder how American democracy-at its best and for all its difficulties-is good for religion."-E. J. Dionne Jr., author of Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country "In Why Religion Is Good for American Democracy, Robert Wuthnow demonstrates in absorbing detail how the 'agonistic pluralism' of modern American religion has repeatedly challenged, enlivened, and enriched American democracy from the New Deal to the COVID-19 crisis. A convincing challenge to those who find religion a burden on public life."-Kenneth L. Woodward, author of Getting Religion: Faith, Culture, and Politics from the Age of Eisenhower to the Ascent of Trump "With characteristic acuity and insight, Robert Wuthnow offers a wholesale reinterpretation of the relation between religion and American democracy. Attending closely to an array of religious actors and movements, he illuminates how religion's competing claims are part of democracy's constant reinvention. Wuthnow's provocative, groundbreaking analysis stresses the positive value of religious disunity and conflict, compelling us to rethink the substance and value of religious diversity."-R. Marie Griffith, author of Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics