Protestants and American conservatism a short history Harp, Gillis J. creator author. text bibliography Electronic books. History nyu 2019 monographic eng remote 1 online resource The rise of the modern Christian Right, starting with the 1976 Presidential election and culminating in the overwhelming white evangelical support for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, has been one of the most consequential political developments of the last half-century of American history. And while there has been a flowering of scholarship on the history of American conservatism, almost all of it has focused on the emergence of a conservative movement after World War II. Likewise, while much has been written about the role of Protestants in American politics, such studies generally begin in the 1970s, and almost none look further back than 1945. In this sweeping history, Gillis Harp traces the relationship between Protestantism and conservative politics in America from the Puritans to Palin. Christian belief long shaped American conservatism by bolstering its critical view of human nature and robust skepticism of human perfectibility. At times, Christian conservatives have attempted to enlist the state as an essential ally in the quest for moral reform. Yet, Harp argues, while conservative voters and activists have often professed to be motivated by their religious faith, in fact the connection between Christian principle and conservative politics has generally been remarkably thin. Indeed, with the exception of the seventeenth-century Puritans and some nineteenth-century Protestants, few American conservatives have constructed a well-reasoned theological foundation for their political beliefs. American conservatives have instead adopted a utilitarian view of religious belief that is embedded within essentially secular assumptions about society and politics. Ultimately, Harp claims, there is very little that is distinctly Christian about the modern Christian Right. Introduction: Exploring a historic association -- The colonies, 1607-1763 -- Revolution and the founding era, 1763-1800 -- The Antebellum era and Civil War, 1800-1865 -- The gilded age, 1865-1900 -- The early twentieth century, 1900-1945 -- Postwar America, 1945-1970s -- The success and failure of the religious right, 1970s-2010 -- Conclusion: Trump and religious conservatism. Gillis J. Harp. Includes bibliographical references and index. n-us--- Protestantism Political aspects United States Christianity and politics United States Protestant churches Protestantism United States History 20th century Protestantisme Aspect politique États-Unis Églises protestantes Aspect politique États-Unis Protestantisme États-Unis Histoire 20e siècle Americas (North Religion RELIGION History Christian Church Christianity and politics Protestant churches Protestantism Protestantism Political aspects United States 1900-1999 fast BR515 .H37 2019 BX4810 .H377 2019 277.3 (OCoLC)1086552201 9780190941185 0190941189 9780199977420 0199977429 9780199977437 0199977437 0199977410 9780199977413 http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=https://academic.oup.com/book/34883 YDX 190318 20260319180733.6 in00005717216 eng