As a Christian, one of the most upsetting trends over the last few decades has been the rise of a form of Christianity that seems wedded to state power as the Sadducees of old, and to the adherence to a strict lifestyle, as the Pharisees of old.
I remember, a few years ago, the "Justice Sunday" at a megachurch which had more American flagwaving and fighter planes than a pro-war political demonstration. I remember the rise of "family values," and the implication that they will save us, whereas St. Paul tells us that faith in Christ, and not works, is saving. After all, Christianity is a personal relationship with God, not a social system. Well, anyone reading this site's diaries knows the routine, knows what I'm talking about.
Anyway, I remember, during the Reagan years, people coming to our church and directly recruiting our members to political action. Yes, it was visitors and not church staff, but still. I never fully comprehended the wider implications of this until, a few years later, I heard a story on Terry Gross's Fresh Air that detailed the way the Republican party had been actively courting not just church members, but churches, at that time. I've been blaming Reagan ever since.
A recent Fresh Air program has introduced me to historian Kevin Kruse, who has pointed out that this political movement, as well as the promotion of America as a "Christian Nation," is much older than Reagan, and in fact arose in reaction to the New Deal. It was not the Republicans per se who steered this political agenda but the captains of industry.
I think Kruse's ideas are worth considering. Of course, as we say in nerdspeak, "YMMV," Details below the orange confusion.
Kevin M. Kruse is a professor of history at Princeton University. He has already written books dealing with suburbia, white flight, and the history of civil rights. His new book is called One Nation Under God. How Corporate America invented Christian America.
In this book he details how the leaders of big business, in the 1930's, out of hatred of the New Deal's tighter regulations and acceptance of labor unions, sought and found allies in certain religious leaders at the time. The connection? That by promoting a stronger federal state, Roosevelt and his New Dealers were setting up that state as an idol, taking the rightful place of God. The weakening of such a state would serve two interests. The religious ideologues would see the idol dethroned. Big business could again more deeply exploit people and places in the pursuit of profit. It was not a marriage made in Heaven.
Kevin Kruse's recent work has already been mentioned this month in just one DailyKos diary, as far as I can tell. It's this one here.
That diary references a New York Times op-ed which Kruse wrote and is available here.
Despite this recent diary mention, I thought it was worthwhile to diary Kruse again, since his new book was not mentioned, and also because putting his thesis in the title of a diary might attract more eyeballs.
Oh, and also, of course, one can listen to his interview on Fresh Air. The link not only accesses the radio broadcast, but also presents an article with all the main details, and a link to a sample book chapter.
I'm not really interested in discussing his work here. My skin is too thin for that. However, Kruse's words speak for themselves, and I figured it was worth bringing them up, and letting heartier souls hash it all out in comments if they so desire. It always helps to know the history of an idea more deeply if you ever want to deal with it.