One Electorate Under God? - (Pew Forum Dialogue Religion and Public Life) by E J Dionne & Jean Bethke Elshtain & Kayla Meltzer Drogosz (Paperback)

About the Book

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The United States has been described as a nation with the soul of a church. Religion is discussed more explicitly and more urgently in American politics than in the public debates of any other wealthy democracy. It is certain to play an important role in the elections of 2004. Yet debates over religion and politics are often narrow and highly partisan, although the questions at hand demand a broader and more civil discussion. One Electorate under God? widens the dialogue by bringing together in one volume some of the most influential voices in American intellectual and political life. This book draws on a public debate between former New York governor Mario Cuomo and Indiana congressman Mark Souder, who discuss how their respective faith convictions have been both shaped by and reflected in their careers as public servants. This discussion, in turn, prompted commentary by a diverse group of scholars, politicians, journalists, and religious leaders who are engaged simultaneously in the religious and policy realms. Each contributor offers insights on how political leaders and religious convictions shape our politics. One Electorate under God arises from the idea that public deliberation is more honest--and more democratic--when officials are open and reflective about the interactions between their religious convictions and their commitments in the secular realm. This volume--the first of its kind--seeks to promote a greater understanding of American thinking about faith and public office in a pluralistic society. Contributors include Joanna Adams, Azizah Al-Hibri, Doug Bandow, Michael Barone, Gary Bauer, Robert Bellah, David Brooks, Harvey Cox, Michael Cromartie, John DiIulio Jr., Terry Eastland, Robert Edgar, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Richard Wightman Fox, William Galston, Robert George, Andrew Greeley, John Green, Anna Greenberg, Susannah Heschel, Representative Amo Houghton (R-New York), Michael Kazin, Martha Minow, Stephen Monsma, Mark Noll, Rabbi Dav"

Book Synopsis

The United States has been described as a nation with the soul of a church. Religion is discussed more explicitly and more urgently in American politics than in the public debates of any other wealthy democracy. It is certain to play an important role in the elections of 2004. Yet debates over religion and politics are often narrow and highly partisan, although the questions at hand demand a broader and more civil discussion. One Electorate under God? widens the dialogue by bringing together in one volume some of the most influential voices in American intellectual and political life. This book draws on a public debate between former New York governor Mario Cuomo and Indiana congressman Mark Souder, who discuss how their respective faith convictions have been both shaped by and reflected in their careers as public servants. This discussion, in turn, prompted commentary by a diverse group of scholars, politicians, journalists, and religious leaders who are engaged simultaneously in the religious and policy realms. Each contributor offers insights on how political leaders and religious convictions shape our politics. One Electorate under God arises from the idea that public deliberation is more honest--and more democratic--when officials are open and reflective about the interactions between their religious convictions and their commitments in the secular realm. This volume--the first of its kind--seeks to promote a greater understanding of American thinking about faith and public office in a pluralistic society. Contributors include Joanna Adams, Azizah Al-Hibri, Doug Bandow, Michael Barone, Gary Bauer, Robert Bellah, David Brooks, Harvey Cox, Michael Cromartie, John DiIulio Jr., Terry Eastland, Robert Edgar, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Richard Wightman Fox, William Galston, Robert George, Andrew Greeley, John Green, Anna Greenberg, Susannah Heschel, Representative Amo Houghton (R-New York), Michael Kazin, Martha Minow, Stephen Monsma, Mark Noll, Rabbi David Novak, Ramesh Ponnuru, Representative David E. Price (D-North Carolina), Jeffrey Rosen, Cheryl Sanders, Ron Sider, Jim Skillen, Matthew Spalding, Jeffrey Stout, John Sweeney, Roberto Suro, Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, Jim Towey, Doug Tanner, Mark Warren, Alan Wolfe, and Andrew Young.

Review Quotes

."..offers insight and critique. It leaves the reader with the impression that much more discussion and analysis are needed in order to advance us all to a higher plane." -- "Jewish Book World", 12/1/2004

"One Electorate is a worthwhile read...No one can leave this book without having their presuppositions probed, and for this reason alone it serves as a timely contribution, given the present polarization of the American polity." --Robert Burns, "Westminster Theological Journal"

"Probably nowhere else can one find the thoughts of so many truly significant contemporary thinkers who deal with the issue of religion and politics." --David P. Gushee, "Journal of Church and State"

"This book makes a valuable contribution to the national debate over whether this president's overt religiosity should be viewed as a worrisome threat to tolerance and pluralism, or as a welcome reinforcement of America's traditional religious commitments." --Tim Byrnes, Ph.D, Colgate University, "Conscience: The Newsjournal of Catholic Opinion", 4/15/2005

About the Author

E.J. Dionne Jr. is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, cochair of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, and a syndicated columnist for the "Washington Post" Writers Group. Jean Bethke Elshtain is a Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics at the University of Chicago and cochair of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Kayla M. Drogosz is the senior research analyst for the project on religion and civil society at the Brookings Institution and coeditor of "United We Serve" (with E.J. Dionne Jr. and Robert E. Litan, Brookings 2003).