The Routledge Handbook of Politics and Religion in Contemporary America

The Routledge Handbook of Politics and Religion in Contemporary America is a comprehensive reference source to this significant, controversial and consistent topic in America’s politics. It examines the copious research conducted to date, evaluates what we know, identifies what is less clear because of differing research findings and pursues important but under-researched questions.

Comprising 34 chapters by a team of international contributors, the Handbook is divided into four parts: History and context; Theoretical debates and methodological perspectives; Actors, policies and institutions; and Contemporary debates and controversies. The Handbook addresses three key questions: (1) How is religion politically important in the USA? (2) Why does religion retain political and social prominence in the USA? and (3) Is the USA secularising? If so, what does it mean for the relationship between religion and politics? Chapters explore central issues, debates and problems within politics and religion in the USA, including citizenship, secularism, the law, religious diversity, atheism, political economy, religious minorities, discrimination, the US presidency, nationalism, public opinion, gender and sexuality, foreign policy, Congress, religious freedom, party politics, human rights, public institutions, civil society, populism, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, political violence, hate speech, inequality and immigration.

This Handbook will be essential reading for students and researchers of politics and religious studies. Professionals (policy-oriented, government, corporations) will also find the Handbook useful, especially for research purposes.

Jeffrey Haynes is Emeritus Professor of Politics at London Metropolitan University, UK. His recent Routledge Handbooks include Religion and Political Parties (2019), Religion, Politics, and Ideology (2021), and Religion and Politics, 3rd ed. (2023). He has written extensively about religion and politics in the USA, including two research monographs: From Huntington to Trump: Thirty Years of the Clash of Civilizations (2019) and Trump and the Politics of Neo-Nationalism: The Christian Right and Secular Nationalism in America (2021). He has also published research articles on religion and politics in the USA in numerous peer-reviewed journals.