Abstract

Religious fundamentalism is a powerful force not only in American domestic politics but also in the way America acts abroad. In For God’s Sake Lee Marsden investigates the way that the Christian Right have influenced US foreign policy, arguing that this influence will continue to fuel hostility against the country for many years to come. Marsden looks at how the Religious Right have exerted pressure on America’s powerful elite through campaign contributions, lobbying and policy-making, and are training a new generation of leaders to extend this influence into the future. Through the mass media, the Christian Right also help to spread American soft power abroad. For God’s Sake considers the negative impact which this influence is having on the environment, democracy and human rights, and considers how it has manifested itself in US policy towards Israel, Iraq and Iran. Finally, the book examines what the future might hold for the Christian Right’s political fortunes in the changing climate of contemporary America.
'Marsden strips away conventional wisdoms about the Christian Right to provide a subtle and powerful account of their impact on US Foreign Policy. He is able to bring together his detailed knowledge of various Christian Right organizations, of how the US works, and importantly also of Christian theology into a book that is a real page turner, but also a seminal contribution to understanding the power of religion in the United States.' Stuart Croft, Warwick University 'Lee Marsden has produced a stimulating and informative account of the foreign policy influence of the Christian Right in the USA. Underpinned by extensive interviews with key players, the book reveals a network of right-wing Christian foreign policy activists who focus on human rights, the environment, Israel and "the war on terror". Marsden's book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the current role of religion in US foreign policy.' Jeff Haynes, London Metropolitan University
Lee Marsden is a Lecturer in Politics at the University of East Anglia. His research interests include US foreign policy, democratization and the increasing influence of religion in international relations. Before entering academia Marsden was an ordained minister in the Word of Faith movement. He has published several articles on human rights in the Middle East and relations between the Muslim world and the West. He is the author of Lessons from Russia: Clinton and US Democracy Promotion (2005).