This thesis will address the political movement of the Christian Right, one of the most controversial movements in the American political system.
Its critics have accused it of trying to establish a theocracy in the United States, of trying to strip homosexuals of their civil rights, and called it fascist, to name but a few allegations. Leaders of the Christian Right, on the other hand, have harshly attacked those they made out as advocates of “secular humanism”, have accused them of anti-Christian bigotry, and have repeatedly employed extreme rhetoric when addressing their (political) adversaries. Within about twenty-five years, the movement developed from almost complete political abstinence into a highly organized political force.
The subject is appealing for research for several reasons: firstly, it is a good example of how vivid and influential religion and religiously motivated political action still are, in spite of the secularization theory widely adhered to in the respective period of time. It is also still current, as there has been some fluctuation in terms of activity and degree of organization, but so far the Christian Right has not ceased to exist.
The goal of the thesis is to explore the emergence of the movement, to portrait the developments that brought theologically conservative Protestants (Evangelicals) – from isolation and retreat into a subculture – to active and organized political involvement.
The central questions to be answered are linked to the controversy surrounding the movement: (1) Has the Christian Right been trying to accomplish what its critics fear, a theocracy, and a Christian nation in which there would be no place for dissenters?
(2) Is the Christian Right a legitimate movement operating within the frame of the political system, or is it set out to ultimately change that system?
Resulting from those questions is the evaluation of the Christian Right’s performance so far (regardless of what can be concluded to answer the above questions):
(3) Which of its goals have been achieved, what balance can be drawn?
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Structure and Goals of this Thesis
- The Area of Focus and the Structure
- Survey of Existing Literature
- An Introduction to Evangelical Protestantism
- Evangelical Denominations
- Fundamentalism
- 'Classical' or Neo-Evangelicalism
- Pentecostalism and Charismatics
- Conclusion
- Analysis of the Socio-Demographic Details of Evangelicals
- Evangelicals and Politics
- Evangelical Denominations
- Religious Reasons for Political Abstinence
- The 1920s - Sporadic Activism, Followed by Retreat
- The Fundamentalist Comeback of the 1950s
- Anticommunism
- Further Organizations of the 1950s
- The Height of Liberalism and its Consequences for Evangelicals
- The New Right's Formation
- The Creation of the New Christian Right
- Targeting Conservative Evangelicals
- The First Generation of Organizations
- The Moral Majority
- Other Organizations of the 1980s
- Religious Roundtable
- Christian Voice
- American Coalition for Traditional Values
- Fundraising
- Summary: The Christian Right of the 1980s
- The First Wave's Downfall
- Pat Robertson – Bringing Charismatics and Pentecostals into Politics
- Pat Robertson's Presidential Campaign
- Conclusion - The Campaign's Impact
- The Second Generation – The Christian Right in the 1990s
- Christian Coalition
- Ralph Reed
- The launching of Christian Coalition
- Membership and its Structure
- Funding & Finances
- The Christian Coalition and the GOP
- Christian Coalition's conflict with the FEC and the IRS
- Focus on the Family
- Family Research Council
- Concerned Women for America
- Strategy – Pioneering in Juridical Action
- Structure and Organization
- Funding
- Membership
- Eagle Forum
- Christian Coalition
- The Second Generation's Strategies
- A Transformation of Strategy
- Focusing on legal action
- Juridical Organizations of the Christian Right
- American Center for Law and Justice
- Rutherford Institute
- Strategies & Issues
- Homosexuality
- Foreign Policy
- The Development of Evangelical Party Affiliation
- From Democrat to Republican
- Infiltrating the GOP
- Gaining Control at the Local Level
- Conflicts between established Republicans and Christian Right Newcomers
- Premises for Evangelical Involvement
- Conclusion
- What they really want: the ultimate goals of the Christian Right
- Has the Christian Right been successful so far?
- Looking Ahead - A Personal Forecast
- Works Cited
- Primary Sources
- Publications of the Christian Right
- Secondary Sources
- Monographies and Collected Editions
- Newspaper Articles
- Articles from Periodicals
- Unpublished Articles
- Miscellaneous Internet-based Sources
- E-Mail Correspondence
- Primary Sources
- Websites
- List of Illustrations
- Figure 1: White Evangelical Religious Traditions
- Figure 2: The Christian Coalition's Membership and Budget
- Map 1: The Christian Right's Influence in Republican State Parties
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the Christian Right in the United States, focusing on its origins, structure, and political activism. The work traces the movement's evolution from its roots in evangelical Protestantism to its modern-day influence on American politics.
- The emergence and development of the Christian Right in the United States
- The key organizations and leaders within the movement
- The strategies employed by the Christian Right to achieve its political goals
- The relationship between the Christian Right and the Republican Party
- The impact of the Christian Right on American society and politics
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the scope and objectives of the thesis, outlining the research methodology and providing a survey of existing literature on the Christian Right. Chapter two delves into the origins of the movement, examining the various denominations within evangelical Protestantism and exploring their socio-demographic characteristics. The third chapter investigates the historical development of the Christian Right, charting its initial foray into political activism in the 1920s, its resurgence in the 1950s, and its subsequent rise to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The fourth chapter focuses on the first generation of Christian Right organizations, such as the Moral Majority, and analyzes their strategies for fundraising and political influence. The fifth chapter discusses the role of Pat Robertson in bringing charismatic and Pentecostal evangelicals into the political arena. Chapter six examines the second generation of Christian Right organizations, including the Christian Coalition, Focus on the Family, and Concerned Women for America. The chapter explores their structures, funding strategies, and relationships with the Republican Party. The seventh chapter analyzes the second generation's shift in strategy, focusing on legal action and the establishment of juridical organizations like the American Center for Law and Justice. Chapter eight delves into the specific issues addressed by the Christian Right, such as homosexuality and foreign policy. The ninth chapter examines the development of evangelical party affiliation, exploring the movement's shift from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party and its impact on the GOP. The tenth chapter concludes the thesis by reflecting on the goals and successes of the Christian Right, offering a personal forecast for its future impact.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and concepts of this thesis include evangelical Protestantism, fundamentalism, neo-evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, Christian Right, political activism, the Moral Majority, Pat Robertson, the Christian Coalition, Focus on the Family, Concerned Women for America, American Center for Law and Justice, Rutherford Institute, homosexuality, foreign policy, Republican Party, and the influence of religious values on American politics.
- Quote paper
- Nils Schnelle (Author), 2008, The Christian Right in the United States - Origin, Structure, and Political Activism, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/121005
