Why religion is good for American democracy [electronic resource]

상세정보

자료유형	단행본
서명/저자사항	Why religion is good for American democracy [electronic resource] / Robert Wuthnow.
개인저자	Wuthnow, Robert, author.
발행사항	Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2021
형태사항	1 online resource (v, 315 pages)
ISBN	0691222649 9780691222646
서지주기	Includes bibliographical references and index.
내용주기	Against tyranny : religious advocacy in the New Deal era -- Liberty of conscience : pacifism, war, and conscientious objection -- Freedom of assembly : conformity and dissent in the 1950s -- Human dignity : welfare provision, the state, and charitable choice -- Inclusion : immigrant religion and immigrant rights -- The wealth gap : religion, wealth, and economic inequality -- Health and wellness : faith communities and COVID-19.
요약	"This book addresses the question of whether, and if so how, religion benefits American democracy. Scholarly views about the answer are divided, as is public opinion. Some hold that religion is beneficial where democracy is concerned; others view it as detrimental; and still others take the middle view that there is "good religion" and "bad religion", and that it all depends on kind is winning. As Robert Wuthnow argues in this new book, these ways of thinking about this topic paint with too broad a brush. Religion as we know it in the United States is vastly diverse, and it is this diversity that has mattered, and still matters. It has mattered not in the abstract, but concretely in the give and take that has mobilized faith communities to engage energetically in the pressing issues of the day -- an engagement that has often involved contesting the influence of other faith communities. Wuthnow's argument is that the deep diversity of religion in American has had, by & large, salutary political consequences. People of faith care about what happens in the country and are keen to mobilize to express their convictions and advocate for policy outcomes in line with their views. The diversity of religious groups in the U.S. contributes to democracy by reducing the chances of any one view becoming preeminent and by bringing innovative ideas to bear on public debate. The book shows empirically what diverse religious groups have done over the past century in advocating for particular democratic values. Individual chapters are case studies that explore important instances in which religious groups advocated against tyranny and on behalf of freedom of conscience; for freedom of assembly; in favor of human dignity; for citizenship rights in the case of immigrants; and for an amelioration of the wealth gap. Plenty of books have been written over the last few decades on religion and politics in the U.S. that have been salvos in the long-running American culture wars. Such books have often decried the involvement of religion in American politics, called for a firmer separation of church and state on the grounds that democracy is better when religion retreats, and criticized the Religious Right in particular. This book, by contrast, offers a more nuanced account of what diverse religious groups have done in the U.S. over the past century in advocating for particular democratic values"--
요약	"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"--
해제	Provided by publisher.
해제	Provided by publisher.
주제명(지명)	United States --Religion. United States. --fast
일반주제명	Democracy --United States --Religious aspects. Religion and politics --United States. Political participation --United States --Religious aspects. Religious pluralism --Political aspects --United States. Political culture --United States. SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology of Religion. POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civics & Citizenship. Democracy --Religious aspects. Political culture. Political participation --Religious aspects. Religion. Religion and politics.
분류기호(DDC)	322.10973
언어	영어
바로가기