Segments
Many of us recognize the potential of religious faith to be a source for good – whether we ourselves confess a faith tradition or not. The critical need to protect our pluralistic, democratic form of government from corruption by special interests, including sectarian religious agendas, is also well-established. But, sadly, these values aren’t universally recognized – and forces that are actively working to profoundly subvert them in a quest for a blood-chilling level of ideological and economic domination have achieved a level of dominance we haven’t seen before. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, we look into how the political religious right is capitalizing on today’s social and political chaos to go even further.
New York Times best-selling author and journalist Katherine Stewart is the author of the recent book The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism. This issue is so important – and the book so comprehensive – that Rev. Welton Gaddy, host of State of Belief, is devoting the full hour to this in-depth conversation. The book delves into the dark history of anti-freedom and anti-pluralism campaigns, disguised as patriotism and religious fervor, raising the alarm about a campaign that Americans of good will continue, for some reason, to view as fringe – and even amusing. This while the proponents of a theocratic, authoritarian vision of this country have seized the levers of power at the highest levels of our government.
Katherine has been articulately writing about these impulses for a very long time. Her earlier book, The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children, exposed the campaign to erase the line separating Church and State in our public schools.
In this time of social isolation, do you know someone who would benefit from hearing the thoughtful, inclusive conversations we offer? Please share State of Belief with them!
