The Second Coming of Paisley - by Richard Lawrence Jordan (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Second Coming of Paisley is the first book to examine the relationship between the Reverend Ian Paisley and leaders of the militant wing of evangelical fundamentalism in the United States in the period immediately preceding the outbreak of the Northern Ireland "Troubles" in the late 1960s. Jordan convincingly demonstrates that it was exposure to the ideas and principles of leaders of the Christian right such as Carl McIntire and Billy James Hargis that enabled Paisley to develop a militant brand of politicized religious fundamentalism that he used successfully to block the advance of civil rights for Northern Ireland's Catholic population.

This cross-fertilization happened not in a historical vacuum but in the context of several centuries of interaction and exchange between Ulster and North America. Drawing upon extensive archival research, Jordan provides a full background analysis and establishes a framework for understanding the extraordinary force with which Reverend Paisley used a religious culture imported from the United States to affect a radical shake-up of religion and politics in Northern Ireland. Shedding new light on the influence of evangelical fundamentalism, The Second Coming of Paisley will be indispensable for scholars interested in the influence of religion on politics.

Review Quotes

This book fills a vitally important gap in the historiography of the Northern Ireland Troubles. It places the events of 1965-2000 in the broader context of the resurgence of political conservatism and reaction grounded in, and often driven by, Christian fundamentalism in the United States.-- "Irene Whelan, author of The Bible War in Ireland: The "Second Reformation" and the Polarization of Protestant-Catholic Relations, 1800-1840"

An original and important study of Paisleyism, one that provides a number of new insights into the development of modern Ulster's religious and political landscape. This will quickly become necessary reading for anyone interested in modern Northern Ireland and/or modern evangelicalism.-- "Sean Farrell, author of Rituals and Riots: Sectarian Violence and Political Culture in Ulster, 1784-1886"

While remaining solidly rooted in the historical, political and religious contexts of Ulster's varied and competing Protestant traditions, Jordan carefully traces the transatlantic dynamics that gave rise to the militant fundamentalism Paisley at first embraced and eventually came to personify. . . . The Second Coming of Paisley not only sheds new light on the Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland; in drawing attention to the shared anxieties of Protestant evangelicalism across national boundaries, Jordan's work subtly reshapes our understanding of the entire post-war period.-- "Michael Mays, author of Nation States: The Cultures of Irish Nationalism"

About the Author

Richard Lawrence Jordan received his PhD in modern British history from Louisiana State University. He was awarded the 2009 Adele Dalsimer Prize for Distinguished Dissertation from the American Conference for Irish Studies and the Distinguished Dissertation Award from Louisiana State University.