Premium Essay

Political Influence Of Evangelicalism

Submitted By
Words 484
Pages 2
Despite the prediction made by modernization theorists that religion would eventually disappear, the preponderant position of evangelism is evident in politics of the United States. With the growing influence of the evangelicals, many Americans are concerned; and thus, the role of religion and its influence on politics continue to be controversial issues since evangelicals work to rebuild “Christian America” while other Americans hope for the separation of church and state. Accordingly, evangelicals and other Americans have different perspectives in political issues. While others focus on the political aspects of the issue, evangelicals find Christian reasons to every issue. Therefore, this paper will examine the concerns that many Americans …show more content…
The first specificity is that evangelicals are well systematized. This is evident when looking at their use of various advocacy groups in politics. With the systemized interest groups, the evangelicals have acquired power at all levels of government (Sutton, 367). Also, many influential political figures such as Jimmy Carter and Jerry Falwell are evangelicals (Smith, 1). These people use their power and influence in promoting evangelism. Furthermore, the strong pulpit of preachers in mega churches is another specificity that has contributed in enabling evangelicals to become more influential. Most of the evangelicals are not just merely religious believers, but they are fanatics who stand with the preachers. This is evident in the documentary film, Jesus Camp, which depicts the lives of many evangelical children. The parents of those children are devout evangelicals who are willing to sacrifice lives of their own and their children. Most of these parents homeschool their children because they disagree with the science education of public schools; creationism is what the evangelical parents teach their children about (Jesus

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

American Evangelicalism In Alberta Summary

...Banack’s journal article “Evangelical Christianity and Political Thought in Alberta” delves into how three prominent Christian fundamentalists have influenced Alberta’s political development through their religious political thought. He believes that other political scientists who have studied Alberta’s political development have made a grave mistake by disregarding the importance of how their religious beliefs have affected their political thought. He provides a comprehensive explanation of their religious philosophies and how it shaped their political movements. Banack’s main argument is that religion was the driving force behind these leaders and it deeply influenced their thinking about human agency, the role of the state, nature of the economy and the proper duties of the citizens (Banack, 71). In this...

Words: 1121 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Evangelical Spirit and Second Great Awakenings

...Name: Professor: Course: Date: The Link between an Evangelical Spirit as Found In the Second Great Awakenings and the Reforming Impulse Historians and sociologists have consistently observed the relationship between the abolitionist movement and revivalism. Evangelical movements and works contributed to the end of the slave trade and slavery which was rampant in Europe and the United States for the period between the 18th and the 19th century. The industrial and scientific revolution marked this period. To this end, slaves were in high demand on industries and plantations like the ones in South America. Most production was labor intensive, and this nature perhaps explains the intensification of the slave trade during this period. However, missionaries, philosophers and economists like Adam Smith started anti-slavery campaigns. Like Adam Smith, he was very certain that free people are more productive than slaves. Inhumane acts marked the lives of slaves. Masters could whip their Slaves even in public, and they were tied to immobilize them from running away. Thanks, to the antislavery campaigns through evangelism that led to the end of slave trade and slavery. An analysis of the second great awakenings reveals that there is a link between the evangelical spirit and the "reforming Impulse." This link animated the many movements of social reform in the years leading up to the American Civil War. The American evangelicals depicted Americans as the most religious people in the...

Words: 1294 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Montt's Pentecostal Rhetorical Analysis

...Montt about the reports in American print, he deployed Pentecostal rhetoric to explain the widely reported massacres. Evoking apocalyptic language, Ríos Montt stated that the mass casualties were not a result of his leadership, rather, they were a “sign of the last days.” In the eyes of the President, the massive body count was the result of mounting “disbelief in the Lord,” not merely within Guatemala, but transnationally. According to Stoll, these “pathetic” excuses served to maintain support among Ríos Montt’s Evangelical base in the final months of his presidency. By utilizing a variety of press reports from the time, Stoll successfully illuminates how the regime deployed Pentecostal rhetoric, not merely to justify massacres, but as a political...

Words: 1249 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Billy Graham

...For the last several decades the most prominent leader within the religious movement known as “evangelicalism” has been the Reverend Billy Graham. Evangelicalism is a Christian movement that focuses on the need for personal conversion, sharing the gospel, and salvation. Billy Graham is well known for his large evangelistic crusades that draw people by the thousands. These crusades have given Graham the distinction of preaching the gospel, in person, to more people than any other person in history. It is widely believed that over 2 billion people have heard Billy Graham preach the Gospel while more than 2.5 million of them made a public declaration of faith in response (Aikman 53). Evangelism is a very important Biblical task and successful evangelistic campaigns, where people turn to Jesus Christ for salvation, are cause to praise God. So it is natural that many Christians hold Graham in extremely high regard. But one question still remains: is Billy Graham a modern day prophet or is he just one of the most famous preachers that has ever lived? In biblical times the word prophet meant a delegated messenger; someone that delivers the direct word from God. While there is no den William Franklin Graham was born on November 7, 1918 near Charlotte, NC. Graham was not drawn to the Bible instantly. Graham was raised on a dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1943 he married Ruth McCue Bell, daughter of a Christian missionary. In his early years, the Graham family...

Words: 1081 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Fear And Trembling By Kierkegaard

...further, God knew that Abraham was a faithful and righteous believer; however, God wanted to put that into exercise and test whether Abraham loves his son more than God. In Kierkegaard quote, “ God tempted Abraham and said unto him, Take Isaac, thine only son, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon the mountain which I will show thee. Everyone shall be remembered, but each became great in proportion to his expectation.” This commandment from God to Abraham as many scholars descried is lesson of how faithful one is, because its one thing to following your faith than being faithful. On the other hand, the Nietzsche book discusses the philosophical and modernity problem that has influence western civilization. His collection of writing reveals how morality dominated the western thought. Nietzsche said “the slave revolt in morality begins when the resentment itself becomes creative and gives birth to values: the resentment of those beings who are prevented from a genuinely active reaction and who compensate for...

Words: 2196 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

American Grace Summary Notes

...American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us Robert Putnam & David Campbell Summary Points: Changes in American Religiosity & Tolerance (Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 15)   Chapter 3 & 4: Religiosity in America Lifecycle, Generational, and Period Effect Change   Ø Most  people’s  religious  views  and  habits  are  formed  fairly  early  in  life.  All  of  us  tend  to  evolve   in  fairly  predictable  ways  as  we  age,  following  what  social  scientists  call  life  cycle  patterns.   These  patterns  produce  a  kind  of  life  cycle  escalator  toward  greater  religiosity  as  an  individual   ages.     Ø However,  people  born  and  raised  in  different  eras  get  onto  that  escalator  at  different  levels.   People  raised  in  a  less  religious  era  may  never  become  as  observant  as  people  raised  in  a  more   observant  time…  Such  a  difference  between  people  born  and  raised  in  different  eras  is  termed   by  social  scientists  a  generational  effect.     Ø Both  generational  and  life  cycle  patterns  involve  change,  but  in  pure  form  they  produce  very   different...

Words: 4184 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

American Insurgents, American Patriots Summary

...their own raised the prospect of political martyrdom, a major step on the road to insurgency” more than two years before the Declaration of Independence came into effect (pg. 77). In late August 1774, Massachusetts farmers from small towns decided they would take the law into their own hands and did away with imperial authority outside Boston (pg. 87-88). In early 1776, despite the fact that Congress had not yet declared independence, American soldiers already fought British forces of their own volition (pg. 9). Although the purpose of Congress was to lead, they found very early on that ordinary Americans would not wait for them to act; American soldiers were not afraid to get out in front of their leaders (pg. 129). Breen’s book is filled with many such detailed examples of instances wherein ordinary men and women did not wait for direction—they took action. These men and women, however, are often overlooked in traditional retellings of history. This is, in part, because there aren’t nearly as many records of ordinary men as there are of elite men. This makes including the ordinary man difficult because there isn’t as much accessible information to be relied upon. As well, the more people who are included in a retelling, the messier the retelling gets and the more difficult it is to generalize. Many textbooks and classes, as well as mainstream history books, rely on generalization to support whatever point they are trying to prove. Evangelicalism played a larger role in the revolution...

Words: 1149 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Poverty and the American Dream

...“The American Dream” as defined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. Truslow states "life should be worse and poorer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of Independence which proclaims that "all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The American Dream is viewed by many Americans as not only an American pursuit, but also many Americans, most especially those citizens that identify themselves as Christians see this pursuit as a Christian right of passage. In the catechesis of Christian language the American dream has become synonymous with the being a Christian. In the minds of many Americans the American Dream is a Christian reward to faithfulness. The proliferation of the American dream through the vehicle of the “Prosperity Gospel” is a cause for the continuance of poverty in America. In this writing I plan to discuss the origins of the American, the canonizing of the American dream in scripture, and the growth of the Prosperity Gospel as an answer to the rising poverty rate in this country. ORIGINS OF THE AMERICAN...

Words: 4620 - Pages: 19

Premium Essay

The European Reformation

...HIST 3335 The European Reformation Research Essay Submitted by: Terra Fillmore (201470549) Submitted to: Dr. David Clemis Bissett School of Business Mount Royal University April 12, 2013 The beginning of the 16th century marked a time in which the Roman Catholic Church controlled a large portion of the political, social, and religious influence in Europe. During this century individuals within the Church were looking towards a more pure and simple Christian lifestyle, but in doing so would have to work against the Church. England, in comparison to the rest of Europe, was more so isolated and distant and while Protestantism grew in the European society it took a far different shape in England. This was because England retained much of the principles and the practices of Catholicism. In addition, whilst the Reformation that took place in Europe was brought on by religious differences and ideals, its basis in England was one of personal and political change. The Reformation in England was centuries in the making and resulted from many merging forces. It was in the 1530’s that the statutes of Henry VIII began to collate an official break from the papal authority of Rome. The 16th century proved to be a boisterous period in the history of England. The uncertainty associated with the stability and religious beliefs of the government were crucial factors in the unclear identity of England until the 1600's. As is often the case with defining periods in history, timing...

Words: 2105 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Fundamentalist Christianity Is More of a Threat to Our Soicety Than Fundamentalist Islam

...Fundamentalist Christianity is more of a threat to society than Fundamentalist Islam. Last year, a Kingstone colleague of mine stood before this debate to challenge the audience about the power of words and initially I’m going to do the same. However, my challenge is not about the power of words plural, but the power of only one word and the effect that it inevitably brings. When mentioned, the power of this word and the feelings that surround it, can change an upbeat atmosphere like ours tonight into one less gregarious and for this I apologise in advance. I can see you all bracing in anticipation, so here goes ……………………Fundamentalism. What image just sprang to mind? Was it women dressed in hijabs, young, teenage boys standing with guns or the appalling image of tortured soldiers? Whatever image it is, I expect the connotations to be associated with a religion that has become synonymous with death and revenge. There is little doubt that Fundamentalist Islam is seen by many as a threat to our society, but I stand here tonight to challenge you to consider something a little closer to home - that it is actually Fundamentalist Christianity that is more of a threat to our society rather than Fundamentalist Islam. To explore this radical concept with you, I’m going to focus on three objectives: first, I’m going to discuss the meaning of fundamentalism, second, what is fundamentalist Christianity and third, why I feel that fundamentalist Christianity is more of...

Words: 1714 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Ch1-5

...conquistadores left a trail of destruction by attacking native villages and killed or captured the inhabitant since they preferred seeking gold and slaves to creating permanent settlements. In 1519, some Spanish soldiers landed on the coast of Mexico. Three years later, these Spanish soldier conquered Aztec empire. The three factors of Spanish victory were technological advantages, division within the Aztec empire, and disease. Later, some other Spanish soldiers conquered a richer empire, Inca empire. By 1550, Spain’s New World empire, which stretched from the Caribbean through Mexico to Peru, was administered from Spain by the Council of the Indies. The council enacted laws for the empire and supervised an elaborate bureaucracy to maintain political control and extract wealth from the land and its people. Then, two expedition went to north America to find gold and silver but they did not find any gold and silver. So Spain stopped to extend its empire and just maintained two precarious footholds in north of Mexico. By a large number of gold and silver flowing into Spain, it became the richest and most powerful state in Europe. However, these American treasure undermined Spanish predominance. Many leading merchants who refused to become Christian was expelled from Spain. The remaining Christian merchants, awash in American riches, had no desire of trading. Consequently, Spain’s economy eventually stagnated. French began to pay much attention to America after news of Cortés s exploits...

Words: 1532 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Women in Victorian Era

...were left at home all day to oversee the domestic duties in the reign of Queen Victoria. A woman's place was in the home, as domesticity and motherhood were considered by society at large to be a sufficient emotional and economic fulfillment for females. These constructs kept women far away from the public sphere in most ways, but during the 19th century charitable missions did begin to extend the female role of service, and Victorian feminism emerged as a potent political force. The transformation of Britain into an industrial nation due to the industrialization had profoundly influenced the ways in which women were to be believed ideally in Victoria times. Newly emerged urban jobs formed an urban living style that no one had lived before, it prompted a change in the ways in which appropriate male and female roles were perceived. In particular, the notion of separate spheres, which woman was in the private sphere of the home and hearth, man was in the public sphere of business, politics and sociability - came to influence the choices and experiences of all women. The Victorian era from 1837 to 1901 is characterized as the domestic age, idealized by Queen Victoria, who came to represent a sort of femininity that was centered on the family, motherhood, and respectability. Accompanied by Albert, Prince Consort, her beloved husband, and by her many children in Balmoral Castle, Victoria became an icon of late 19th-century middle-class femininity and domesticity. In fact, Queen Victoria...

Words: 2027 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Comparative Civilization Final Paper

...Nineteenth Century Nannette Porter HIWD – 370: Comparative Civilization Instructor Katie Stewart October 13, 2015   Slavery had been a part of civilization since villages, and small communities began to form. The topic of slavery is an important part of our heritage, knowing how it began and what humanity has done to control it. It is interesting to see how Christianity can change the heart of one person, who can affect the change in a country. One small adjustment, thousands of miles abroad, can affect any civilization and history of many countries. During the 19th century many countries developed laws to gradually or immediately shift civilization away from slavery. This paper explores the religious influences motivating this shift in the legal system as well as the consequences of these laws on work civilization. Slavery was found worldwide and came in many different forms. The most common was the Slave, treated as chattels and wild animals, having no rights and endured harsh physical abuse. The Slave was known more and referred to as the ‘Western Slave’ more commonly found in America. Serfdom, a Russian repression, was a different form of slavery. Serfs were not a legal person, had no property rights, no right to credit transactions and not protected by custom. However, a serf had his own land and property, unlike in slavery. Serfdom was found in China, Japan, India and elsewhere. Muslim Slaves were another form of slavery who was...

Words: 2752 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Theology

...is a continuation and his second treatment of the subject, in a four-volume series, where the author seeks to further define the origins and problems of evangelicalism’s theological compromise while proposing solutions like radical resistance to modernity and restoration of God-centeredness as central to regaining ground that has been lost to modernity within the church. In this critique I will seek to primarily interact with Wells assessment of evangelicalism’s compromised condition, and secondarily, I will respond to his proposed cures for its ills, while determining whether he succeeded in making his case for both. Brief Summary In God in the Wasteland the author presents a very disturbing account of the condition within American evangelicalism. One of the central causes of this condition is what he calls the marginalization of God to the periphery of both secular and church...

Words: 3470 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Amdmc

...Year 12 Henry VIII Revision Guide 1 How to answer questions on the Tudors Section A Essays: How far do the sources agree that? Introduction:    Explain what you can learn from each source Briefly cross reference the sources Provide an argument in response to the question Main paragraphs:     State a similarity or difference between the sources – make sure you focus on ‘How Far’ Select relevant information from the sources to support this point Place this in context using your brief own knowledge Use provenance to explain this similarity/difference Conclusion:  Sum up how far the sources agree based on content and provenance Section B Essays: Do you agree with the view that? Introduction:   State your line of argument – how far do you agree with the view? State the main similarities and differences between the sources Main paragraphs:  State a reason for yes/no. Make sure you phrase this in a way that links to your line of argument and answers the question. Remember that each source will suggest a different reason for yes/no. Support this reason with evidence from the sources and your own knowledge Cross-reference between the sources Weigh up the evidence of the sources. Consider provenance for primary sources and judge secondary sources based on the evidence included and the weight given to certain evidence Link back to your line of argument     Conclusion:  Explain how your argument has been proven with reference to the sources and your own knowledge...

Words: 34668 - Pages: 139