Under God: Religion And American Politics

In Under God, Garry Wills, an eminent political observer, moves through the tapestry of American history, illuminating the instances where politics and religion have collided. Beginning with the 1988 presidential contest, an election that included two ministers and a senator accused of sin, he surveys history to show the continuity of present controversies with past religious struggles, arguing that the secular standards of the Founding Fathers have been misunderstood. He shows that despite reactionary fanatics, religion has often been a progressive force in American politics and explains why the policy of separating church and state has, ironically, strengthened the church's position.