From Publishers Weekly
Of the writing of books about the rise and rumored fall of the religious right there is no end. But most of these tend toward the genre of the rant, which is why Lambert's new book is important. It gives a history of the intertwining of evangelical faith and political engagement in America that displays no obvious agenda other than to illuminate. He lays religionalongside other competing influences in American politics and has an eye for fascinating (and quirky) fights over religion in early America: should the mail run on Sundays, as the religiously disinclined Thomas Jefferson preferred, or should the nation honor the fourth commandment? (Answer: the debate vanished once telegraphs could operate 24/7). Recent efforts to align Christianity and specific political positions are not without precedent in U.S. history, as Lambert makes clear. That early history is riveting, especially when it is counterintuitive: ironically, Massachusetts—the bête noir of evangelical voters now—was the last state to discontinue public funding for the Congregational Church in 1833. Lambert's treatment of more recent religious trends, from the Civil Rights movement to the rise of the religious right and left, feels a bit more boilerplate. Yet the whole book will be useful as a handy, clear and fair treatment of this most contentious subject. (Mar.)
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Review
"Of the writing of books about the rise and rumored fall of the religious right there is no end. But most of these tend toward the genre of the rant, which is why Lambert's new book is important. It gives a history of the intertwining of evangelical faith and political engagement in America that displays no obvious agenda other than to illuminate.... The whole book will be useful as a handy, clear and fair treatment of this most contentious subject." (Publishers Weekly)
"Religion in American Politics . . . traces the interplay between pulpits and the public square through nearly two centuries of U.S. history. Some things, [Lambert] writes, never change."---Daniel Burke, Washington Post
"For students of U.S. religion and religious history, this is a useful and very interesting book. Despite many attempts to understand the relations between religion and politics, there have been few efforts to trace these interrelationships throughout U.S. history. Lambert takes on such a task enthusiastically and successfully, in a 'short' survey of 250 pages."---J. F. Findlay, Choice
"In this election season, with candidates often touting their plans to include religion in their political platforms, Lambert's richly-textured book provides a timely reminder of the divisiveness of religion and the wisdom of the Founding Fathers in keeping it out of national politics."---Henry L. Carrigan, Jr., ForeWord
"Despite the constitutional separation of church and state, the two have in fact had a long, convoluted, intertwined history, as explored by Frank Lambert in his new book, Religion in American Politics: A Short History. While no official faith-based litmus test has ever been established for those running for elected office, Lambert, a history professor at Purdue University, posits that the influence of religion is, and has been, both foreground and background in American politics.... Perhaps Lambert's most successful achievement with his book is the correction of the perception that this phenomenon is anything new, or that it will go away any time soon." (In the Fray Magazine)
"Among other things, Lambert shows how the American sons of the Enlightenment were drawn to secularism, at least politically but, in the case of Jefferson and some others, in terms of personal belief as well. The representatives who met in 1787 to write the Constitution (replacing the Articles of Confederation, the looser document that sprang directly from the revolution) ensured that Christianity was not the nation's official state religion. We learn that Adams was hardly alone in his reaction to Jefferson's victory over him. Religious leaders connected to Adams' party, the Federalists, called Jefferson unfit to lead 'a Christian nation', even one that was unofficially so."---George Featherling, Seven Oaks Magazine
"The book's fine scholarly grain allows several sides of the story to shine through at once, yet Religion in American Politics: A Short History also paints a welcome big picture. . . . The book's most encouraging aspect is its sensitive treatment of diversity within religious traditions. . . . [T]o read his history is to sense how much poorer American public culture would be without the active participation of people of faith. Imagine the civil rights movement without the spirituals."---Marion Maddox, Australian Review of Public Affairs
"It's hard to have a conversation or argument about religion and politics in America without dragging history into it. At the very least, many of us feel compelled to invoke the Founders on behalf of a vision of America either as some sort of 'Christian nation' or as the first and most successful secular republic. In his brief but generally judicious Religion in American Politics, Purdue historian Frank Lambert demonstrates that this is nothing new: Proponents of both visions have been arguing back and forth since the time of the founding. Since his is a 'short history,' Lambert doesn't exhaustively document every intersection of religion and politics. Rather, he picks his moments, showing how they reveal particular versions of our hardy perennial debate."---Joseph Knippenberg, Weekly Standard
"Lambert's subtle and learned exposition of the evolution of religion within American culture is admirably clear and engaging."---Andrew Preston, Ecclesiastical History
"Religion in American Politics is one of those rare scholarly books that actually manage to deliver more than it promises. In charting the relationship between politics and religion in American life, Lambert manages to provide an elegant, even-handed, and comprehensive account of the role religious faith has played in shaping the nation's destiny."---Shawn Francis Peters, Journal of Church and State
"Religion in American Politics is a useful survey, not least because Lambert seeks to probe beyond some of the shopworn examples of religious and political entanglements."---Randall Balmer, Cambridge Journals
"Lambert's clear and well-conceived analysis is framed within his understanding of religious culture as a competitive marketplace. . . . Students and scholars interested in church-state issues in the United States will not regret reaching [this] book. Lambert's judicious treatment of sources and his attention to context give his work an authority that quotation warriors usually lack. Religion in American Politics may not be edgy, but it is wise."---Chris Beneke, Journal of Southern History
"The reader is introduced to important actors and arguments and, after reading this volume, will have enough direction to pursue further investigation. The book is also a joy to read; Lambert not only has a felicitous style, but often finds just the right quotation from a protagonist or scholar to make a particular point without belaboring it. For general readers, or as a starter for an undergraduate course in American religion and politics, this book would be a fine choice."---James L. Guth, Cambridge Journals
"Lambert's short history is long on insights into the fraught relationship between religion and politics in American life. Judicious in its balance, the book provides a compendious overview of the current conflicts that divide Right from Left, and it deepens our understanding of those struggles by grounding them in the repeated contests between Christian and secular visions of the republic."―Leigh E. Schmidt, Princeton University
"With brevity and clarity, this book provides a sweeping survey of the often uneasy relationship between religion and politics in the American experience, from the founding era to the twenty-first century. Frank Lambert provides a concise introduction to the major themes and key controversies, one that will appeal to general readers and students alike."―Daniel L. Dreisbach, author of Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation between Church and State
"Excellent. A sensitively told, compelling, and important narrative. Frank Lambert treats the various religious players throughout American history fairly and insightfully, showing how even religious groups that compete furiously (and sometimes viciously) nevertheless contribute to a vital and pluralistic religious culture that enriches the competing groups."―Christopher J. Eberle, author of Religious Conviction in Liberal Politics
From the Inside Flap
"Lambert's short history is long on insights into the fraught relationship between religion and politics in American life. Judicious in its balance, the book provides a compendious overview of the current conflicts that divide Right from Left, and it deepens our understanding of those struggles by grounding them in the repeated contests between Christian and secular visions of the republic."--Leigh E. Schmidt, Princeton University
"With brevity and clarity, this book provides a sweeping survey of the often uneasy relationship between religion and politics in the American experience, from the founding era to the twenty-first century. Frank Lambert provides a concise introduction to the major themes and key controversies, one that will appeal to general readers and students alike."--Daniel L. Dreisbach, author of Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation between Church and State
"Excellent. A sensitively told, compelling, and important narrative. Frank Lambert treats the various religious players throughout American history fairly and insightfully, showing how even religious groups that compete furiously (and sometimes viciously) nevertheless contribute to a vital and pluralistic religious culture that enriches the competing groups."--Christopher J. Eberle, author of Religious Conviction in Liberal Politics
From the Back Cover
"Lambert's short history is long on insights into the fraught relationship between religion and politics in American life. Judicious in its balance, the book provides a compendious overview of the current conflicts that divide Right from Left, and it deepens our understanding of those struggles by grounding them in the repeated contests between Christian and secular visions of the republic."--Leigh E. Schmidt, Princeton University
"With brevity and clarity, this book provides a sweeping survey of the often uneasy relationship between religion and politics in the American experience, from the founding era to the twenty-first century. Frank Lambert provides a concise introduction to the major themes and key controversies, one that will appeal to general readers and students alike."--Daniel L. Dreisbach, author ofThomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation between Church and State
"Excellent. A sensitively told, compelling, and important narrative. Frank Lambert treats the various religious players throughout American history fairly and insightfully, showing how even religious groups that compete furiously (and sometimes viciously) nevertheless contribute to a vital and pluralistic religious culture that enriches the competing groups."--Christopher J. Eberle, author ofReligious Conviction in Liberal Politics
About the Author
Frank Lambert is professor of history at Purdue University. His books include The Barbary Wars, a New York Times Editors' Choice; The Founding Fathers and the Place of Religion in America; and Inventing the "Great Awakening."
