Andrea C. Hatcher is Associate Professor of Politics at The University of the South, USA

This book examines the paradoxical relationship between the religious and political behaviors of American and British Evangelicals, who exhibit nearly identical religious canon and practice, but sharply divergent political beliefs and action. Relying on interviews with British religious and political elites (journalists, MPs, activists, clergy) as well as focus groups in ten Evangelical congregations, this study reveals that British Evangelicals, unlike their American counterparts known for their extensive involvement in party politics, have no discernible ideological or partisan orientation, choosing to pursue their political interests through civic or social organizations rather than electoral influence. It goes further to show that many British Evangelicals shun the label itself for its negative political connotations and in-/out-group sensibility, and choose to focus on a broader social justice imperative rendered almost incoherent by a lack of group identity. Placing itself at theforefront of an incipient but growing segment of comparative research into the intersectionality of religion and politics, the work satisfies a lacuna of how the same religious tradition can act differently in public squares contextualized by political and cultural variables.

Chapter 1. The Same, But Different.................................

            Religious Britain....................................................

            Defining "Evangelical"...........................................

            Religious Similarities............................................

                        Belonging...................................................

                        Believing....................................................

                        Behaving.....................................................

            Political Differences...............................................

                        The American Model..................................

                        The British Model........................................

            Comparing Religion.................................................

            Research Questions and Summary Answers..........

 

Chapter 2. A View From the Top.........................................

            Elite Interviews........................................................

            Obstacles to Politicization.......................................

                        Institutional Constraints.............................

                        Cultural Constraints....................................

            Summary..................................................................

 

Chapter 3. Religious and Political Identities......................

            Identity Matters.......................................................

            Focus Groups............................................................

            Not "Evangelical".......................................................

            Without a Party........................................................

            Summary...................................................................

 

Chapter 4. Political Engagement.........................................

            Political Interest.......................................................

            The Most Important Problem..................................

                        The Case of Same-Sex Marriage..................

            The Social Justice Imperative.................................

            Summary..................................................................

 

Chapter 5. Cultural Engagement............................................

            A Christian Country?............................................................

            In the Mainstream.......................................................

            Misunderstanding.......................................................

            Summary....................................................................

 

Chapter 6. Toward an Evangelical Identity..........................

            Studying Religion and Politics...................................

Unripe for Politicization.............................................

            Needing a Social Identity...........................................

            Lessons for American Evangelicals..........................

            Lessons for British Evangelicals...............................