Histories of political religion since the 1960s often center on the rise of the powerful conservative evangelical voting bloc since the 1970s. One of the beliefs that has united these citizens is the idea that they are treated unfairly or are marginalized, despite their significant influence on public life. From the ascent of Reagan to the "Contract with America," from 9/11 to Obama to Trump--these claims have moved steadily to the center of conservative activism.Scholars of religion have approached these phenomena with great caution, generally focusing on institutional history, or relying on journalistic conveniences like "populism," or embracing the self-understandings of evangelicals themselves. None of these approaches is sufficiently calibrated to decoding the fierce convergence of online conspiracy theory, public violence, white supremacy, and religious authoritarianism. Accepting the narrative of Embattlement on its own terms, or examining it as mere turbulence on the path of American pluralism, overlooks how such deeper structural or atmospheric conditions work through this discourse to undermine the actual practice of democratic politics.Exploring the impact of these claims through case studies ranging from the Tea Party to Birthers to anti-sharia laws, Embattled America digs deeper into the debates between Martyrs (those who profess persecution) and Whistleblowers (those who sanctimoniously refute such claims). Hidden beneath each of these episodes is a series of ambivalences about democracy that require attention. Jason Bivins argues that the claims of Martyrs and Whistleblowers are symptoms of America's larger failings to strengthen the conditions for democratic life, and thus that rather than engaging their claims on the merits, concerned citizens should reassess fundamental democratic norms as part of a broader challenge to embolden American citizenship and institutions.

1. Changing the Subject: The Lost Opportunities of Embattled Religion2. A Brief History of Persecution Complexes in America3. The Whirl: Virus, Narrative, and Noise4. Worrying About Scars: Glenn Beck and Authenticity5. The Dropouts: Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, and the Failures of Representation6. An Unattained Goal: The Tea Party and the Problems of Public Action7. The Pearls and the Coral: David Barton and the Burdens of History8. Law as Winning: Anti-Sharia Legislation and Democratic Self-Inventory9. Locked and Loaded: On Birth, Death, Guns, and Citizenship10. How to Be an American: An Address to Citizens