Why Religion Is Good for American Democracy

How the actions and advocacy of diverse religious communities in the United States have supported democracy’s development during the past centuryDoes religion benefit democracy?Robert Wuthnow says yes. In Why Religion Is Good for American Democracy, Wuthnow makes his case by moving beyond the focus on unifying values or narratives about culture wars and elections.Rather, he demonstrates that the beneficial contributions of religion are best understood through the lens of religious diversity.The religious composition of the United States comprises many groups, organizations, and individuals that vigorously, and sometimes aggressively, contend for what they believe to be good and true.Unwelcome as this contention can be, it is rarely extremist, violent, or autocratic.Instead, it brings alternative and innovative perspectives to the table, forcing debates about what it means to be a democracy. Wuthnow shows how American religious diversity works by closely investigating religious advocacy