This book presents fifteen essays that will lead to an understanding of the nature and extent of the political role of religion in the United States. It explores the impact of religious interest groups on public policy, religion and abortion, and feminist theological views.

General Introduction -- Background -- Introduction -- Religious Interest Groups, Policymaking, and the Constitution -- The Clergy and Public Issues in Middletown -- Cacophony on Capitol Hill: Evangelical Voices in Politics -- The Christian Right -- Introduction -- Jerry Falwell and "The Simple Faith on Which This Country Was Built" -- The "New Christian Right" in American Politics -- The Protestant Ethic, the Christian Right, and the Spirit of Recapitalization -- Religion and the Abortion Issue -- The Christian Right in Middletown -- Jews, Blacks, and the Democrats: 1984 -- Religion and Liberal Issues -- Introduction -- The Princeton Declaration (World Conference on Religion and Peace) -- Captive Congregations: Why Local Churches Don't Pursue Equality -- Listen to the Bishops -- The Churches and Nuclear Deterrence -- The Role of the Black Church in Black Civil Rights Movements -- Feminist Theologians and Liberal Political Issues -- Conclusions: The Future Political Role of Religion in the United States