From the first rumblings of the Moral Majority over twenty years ago, the Christian Right has been marshalling its forces and maneuvering its troops in an effort to re-shape the landscape of American politics. It has fascinated social scientists and journalists as the first right-wing social movement in postwar America to achieve significant political and popular support, and it has repeatedly defied those who would step up to write its obituary. In 2000, while many touted the demise of the Christian Coalition, the broader undercurrents of the movement were instrumental in helping George W. Bush win the GOP nomination and the White House. Bush repaid that swell of support by choosing Senator John Ashcroft, once the movement's favored presidential candidate, as attorney general. The Christian Right in American Politics, under the direction of three of the nation's leading scholars in the field of religion and politics, recognizing the movement as a force still to be reckoned with, undertakes the important task of making an historical analysis of the Christian Right in state politics during its heyday, 1980 to the millennium. Its twelve chapters, written by outstanding scholars, review the impact and influence of the Christian Right in those states where it has had its most significant presence: South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Colorado, California, Maine, and Oregon and Washington. Since 1980, scholars have learned a good deal about the social characteristics, religious doctrine, and political beliefs of activists in and supporters of the Christian Right in these states, and each contribution is based on rigorous, dispassionate scholarship. The writers explore the gains and losses of the movement as it attempts to re-shape political landscapes. More precisely, they provide in-depth descriptions of the resources, organizations, and the group ecologies in which the Christian Right operates-the distinct elements that drove the movement forward. As the editors state, "the Christian Right has been engaged in a long and torturous 'march toward the millennium,' from outsider status into the thick of American politics." Those formative years, 1980-2000, are essential for any understanding of this uniquely American social movement. This rigorous analysis over many states and many elections provides the clearest picture yet of the goals, tactics, and hopes of the Christian Right in America.
Introduction:The Christian Right's Long Political MarchJohn C. Green, Mark J. Rozell, and Clyde Wilcox1. Advance and Retreat in the Palmetto State: Assessing the Christian Right in South CarolinaC. Danielle Vinson and James L. Guth2. Virginia: Birthplace of the Christian RightMark J. Rozell and Clyde Wilcox3. Texas: Religion and Politics in God's CountryJames W. Lamare, Jerry L. Polinard, and Robert D. Wrinkle4. "A Necessary Annoyance"? The Christian Right and the Development of Republican Party Politics in FloridaKenneth D. Wald and Richard K. Scher5. The Christian Right's Mixed Success in MichiganCorwin E. Smidt and James M. Penning6. Iowa: Crucible of the Christian RightDonald P. Racheter, Lyman A. Kellstedt, and John C. Green7. The Kansas Christian Right and the Evolution of Republican PoliticsAllan J. Cigler, Mark Joslyn, and Burdett A. Loomis8. Strong Bark, Weak Bite: Three Strengths and Liabilities of the Christian Right in Minnesota PoliticsChristopher P. Gilbert and David A. M. Peterson9. The Christian Right and the Cultural Divide in ColoradoRobert Zwier10. The Christian Right in California: Dimming Fortunes in the Golden StateJ. Christopher Soper and Joel S. Fetzer11. The Christian Right in the Northwest: Two Decades of Frustration in Oregon and WashingtonWilliam M. Lunch12. Citizen Initiative in MaineMatthew C. Moen and Kenneth T. PalmerConclusion:The Meaning of the March: A Direction for Future ResearchClyde Wilcox, Mark J. Rozell, and John C. GreenContributors Index
