God, Revelation and Authority

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Linda Kintz

Linda Kintz makes explicit the crucial need to understand the psychological makeup of born-again Christians as well as the sociopolitical dynamics involved in their cause. She focuses on the role of religious women in right-wing Christianity and asks, for example, why so many women are attracted to what is often seen as an antiwoman philosophy. The result, a telling analysis of the complexity and appeal of the "emotions that matter" to many Americans, highlights how these emotions now determine public policy in ways that are increasingly dangerous for those outside familiarity's circle. With texts from such organizations as the Christian Coalition, the Heritage Foundation, and Concerned Women for America, and writings by Elizabeth Dole, Newt Gingrich, Pat Robertson, and Rush Limbaugh, Kintz traces the usefulness of this activism for the secular claim that conservative political economy is, in fact, simply an expression of the deepest and most admirable elements of human nature itself. The discussion of Limbaugh shows how he draws on the skepticism of contemporary culture to create a sense of absolute truth within his own media performance - its truth guaranteed by the market. Kintz also describes how conservative interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, the U.S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence have been used to challenge such causes as feminism, women's reproductive rights, and gay and lesbian rights. In addition to critiquing the intellectual and political left for underestimating the power of right-wing grassroots organizing, corporate interests, and postmodern media sophistication, Between Jesus and the Market discusses the proliferation of militia groups, Christian entrepreneurship, and the explosive growth and "selling" of the Promise Keepers.

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Dean Merrill

"If America is sliding into a moral swamp, what's the best Christian response? The hardball approach of the religious right? Or is there a more productive way to engage our culture?"--BOOK JACKET. "Dean Merrill, a former vice president with Focus on the Family, challenges us to transform society - and our own hearts - from the inside out. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Church is about attitude, about living out our convictions in a Christ-like manner instead of bullying our way into the system like any other loud and selfish government lobby."--BOOK JACKET. "Merrill shows why returning to the "good old days" is a wish based on a myth. He reveals how God has worked mightily throughout history in spite of decadent cultures, and how he can and will work today in the American culture. Far from a prescription for apathy, this book is a passionate call to kingdom activity - and our mission as ambassadors to a world Christ died for, not as conquerors who would remake it in our own image."--Jacket.

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Susan Dudley Gold

Describes the numerous treaties between the various Native American peoples and the settlers from Europe, explaining how these new inhabitants used ways unfamiliar to the Indians to take their lands.

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Thomas Schnurmacher

Separatist leader Lucien Bouchard says that Canada is not a real country. Montreal talk-show host Thomas Schnurmacher says it's about time Canada started acting like one. An avowed federalist who refuses to be politically correct, Schnurmacher has written a book that the politicians in this country don't want you to read. Canada Is Not a Real Country explains how the Quebec Liberals and the Parti Quebecois have played good cop/bad cop over the past 30 years, extorting endless concessions from Canada. Schnurmacher urges his readers to challenge separatists on their "right" to unilaterally break up the country. He also urges the federal government to issue a realty check to all Quebecers, outlining the real costs of separation. His critique of the Canadian political scene may be sobering, but Schnurmacher's conclusion is optimistic: Canada will survive - and thrive - not because of its politicians, but in spite of them.