Christian America?: What Evangelicals Really Want Paperback - 2002

First line

THERE IS NOTHING more powerful than an idea whose time has come.

From the rear cover

"This book clearly demonstrates how important it is to listen. Smith's work provides us with broad and systematic confirmation of what a decade of ethnographic studies had anticipated--when we get past our stereotypes long enough to listen to ordinary evangelicals, we find a much more diverse and ambivalent family than the 'mighty charging army' of culture war rhetoric. Serious attention to the findings reported here can be an important ingredient in building the civil and tolerant society we say we want."--Nancy T. Ammerman, author of Bible Believers

""This volume captures the common sense views of thousands of grass-roots evangelicals about the role of politics and pluralism in contemporary America. It shows that evangelicals speak not with one voice, but reflect a wide range of options on most issues of pressing cultural importance. Smith's subtle and wide-ranging work will significantly define--and redefine--the discussion of religion in America at the turn of the twentieth century."--Grant Wacker, Duke University

"In this well-researched and highly readable book, Christian Smith explodes many of the stereotypes associated with evangelicals. Contrary to the view presented in the media and shared by many liberals, Smith conclusively demonstrates that the typical evangelical is not a political extremist, nor does he or she believe in forcing their world view on others. Instead, most evangelicals share the same cultural values of tolerance and individualism that are common to mainstream America. This landmark study, drawing on extensive survey data and hundreds of in-depth interviews, will redefine our view of evangelicalism"--Donald E. Miller, author of Reinventing American Protestantism