Representing God at the Statehouse : Religion and Politics in the American States

Providing a comparative view of religion and politics at the state level, these essays look at the issues facing states and how religious lobbies and organizations are addressing them. It examines the responses of different denominations and their rationales for involvement and also explores the diversity of interests present at the state level.

In recent years, interest in religion and politics at the national level has surged while extensive activity at the state level has gone largely unnoticed. Yet, with state government budgets increasing exponentially over the past three decades, churches and religious organizations are focusing tremendous energy and resources toward influencing the ways states are spending their money and governing their populace. In this groundbreaking collection, Edward Cleary and Allen Hertzke bring together nine new essays that provide the first systematic, comparative view of religion and politics at the state level. These essays take an in-depth look at the pressing issues facing states across the nation and how religious lobbies and organizations are addressing them. By examining the responses of different denominations and their rationales for involvement, the contributors explore the enormous diversity of interests being represented at the state level. As highly controversial programs and laws continue to divide state governments, Representing God at the Statehouse provides an important look at the current state of religion and democracy.