The American Religious Landscape and the 2004 Presidential Vote: Increased Polarization

Presents findings from a post-election survey conducted in November and December 2004. Explores the polarization between different religions, as well as within the major religious traditions

Biblical Literalism and Inerrancy: A Methodological Investigation

The results of a methodological experiment are reported, in which black, urban respondents are presented with a new question dealing with beliefs about the Bible. The new item contains alternatives connoting both biblical literalism and inerrancy. Contrary to some previous research, it was found that the difference between literalism and inerrancy is meaningful to most doctrinally conservative respondents

The Political Effects of the Born-Again Phenomenon

This text addresses whether and how religion and religious institutions affect American politics. For some time, analysts have argued that the conflicts of the New Deal era rendered cultural differences trivial and placed economic interests at the top of the political agenda. The authors and their collaborators - John C. Green, James L. Guth, Ted G. Jelen, Corwin E. Smidt, Kenneth D. Wald, Michael R. Welch, and Clyde Wilcox - disagree. They find that religious worldviews are still insinuated in American political institutions, and religious institutions still are points of reference. The book profits from the new religiosity measures employed in the 1990 National Election Studies. Part 1 discusses the study of religion in the context of politics. Part II examines religion as a source of group orientation. Part III takes up religious practices and their political ramifications. Part IV does the same for doctrinal and worldview considerations. Part V explores the sources of religious socialisation. In conclusion, Part VI reviews the research on religion and political behaviour and looks ahead to where work should proceed

The Politics of Religion in America: Issues for Investigation

This article seeks (1) to bring some coherence to a growing, but rather disparate, volume of “religion and politics” research, and (2) to chart some directions for future research. Given the vast nature of the field of inquiry, the focus of the discussion is limited specifically to behavioral studies of the role of religion in American political life