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Why the crisis of Christianity has become a crisis for democracy
What happens to American democracy if Christianity is no longer able, or no longer willing, to perform the functions on which our constitutional order depends? In this provocative book, the award-winning journalist Jonathan Rauch—a lifelong atheist—reckons candidly with both the shortcomings of secularism and the corrosion of Christianity.
Thin Christianity, as Rauch calls the mainline church, has been unable to inspire and retain believers. Worse, a Church of Fear has distorted white evangelicalism in ways that violate the tenets of both Jesus and James Madison. What to do? For answers, Rauch looks to a new generation of religious thinkers, as well as to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has placed the Constitution at the heart of its spiritual teachings.
In this timely critique Rauch addresses secular Americans who think Christianity can be abandoned, and Christian Americans who blame secular culture for their grievances. The two must work together, he argues, to confront our present crisis. He calls on Christians to recommit to the teachings of their faith that align with Madison, not MAGA, and to understand that liberal democracy, far from being oppressive, is uniquely protective of religious freedom. At the same time, he calls on secular liberals to understand that healthy religious institutions are crucial to the survival of the liberal state.
Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He is the recipient of a National Magazine Award. His books include The Constitution of Knowledge, The Happiness Curve, and Gay Marriage. He lives in northern Virginia.
“As a Christian, I’m impressed with Rauch’s honesty about faith, both his critiques and his admiration for the faith he doesn’t share but still wishes to succeed. One wouldn’t expect an avowed atheist to produce a forceful and eloquent case for the importance of Christianity in American democracy, but that’s precisely what Rauch gives us. His plea for Christians to play the role that America needs is one every faith leader should study and heed.”—Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox
“Cross Purposes provides an insightful account of the way that a part of American Christianity has evolved in recent years in ways that have replaced its spiritual message with conservative politics, and how that harms our democracy. Invaluable reading to understand the present moment.”—Francis Fukuyama, author of Liberalism and Its Discontents
“Calling those on the Left and the Right to heed our better angels, Jonathan Rauch sidesteps polarizing rhetoric and zero-sum politics to cast a compelling vision for a generous pluralism. A timely book for a divided nation.”—Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
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