From Resentment to Power -- Christian Right politics

I came across a piece by Martin Marty entitled "Watch your Religion-Politics Language," reflecting on the recent elections. In this commentary he speaks first of all of the need to distinguish between the "New Christian Right" and Evangelicalism. Often used synonymously, they overlap at points but Evangelical has a much broader connotation. Marty being a a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church has been heard to point this out.

In this column Marty makes the point that in its beginnings, the Christian Right was motivated by a "politics of resentment" and in time moved to a "politics of will-to-power," but with the resentment still present. You do still hear this in much of what you hear from pundits and pulpits. Being that Christmas (Winter Holiday) is at hand, we're likely to hear that resentment clearly. Here is his comment:

My take: The Christian Right took shape in the 1980s with the motives of the "politics of resentment," its members having long felt, and been, disdained. In the years of the Reagan charm, they found it easy to gain power, so they moved to the "politics of will-to-power," still voicing resentment. Many sounded as if they should and maybe could "win it all" and "run the show."

They have now begun to learn what mainline Protestants and mainline evangelicals, Catholics, Jews, and humanists know: No one is simply going to "run the show" in the American pluralist mix, as we watch shifting powers face off against other shifting powers, which is what happened again in the mid-term elections.

I hope that Marty is right, that they will learn that it's impossible to run the show! Whether they/we like it, this is a diverse and pluralistic nation. Success requires that we work together. Hopefully the recent elections did say no to the Rovian "divide and conquer" politics of the past five years! So, once again, hurray for purple power

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