Examines the hopes, frustrations, and activist strategies of American evangelical Christians. Focusing on two Tennessee megachurches, this title reaches beyond political controversies over issues such as abortion and public prayer to highlight the ways that evangelicals at the grassroots of the Christian Right promote faith-based causes.
"This is a lovely book. Secular Americans all too often assume that evangelical Christianity embraces an individualistic ethos. This well-written and engaging account takes us into the life of the social world of evangelical megachurches and shows the tensions between unconditional love and accountability. In doing so, this book allows us to grasp the experience at the heart of evangelical faith. These people emerge as likable and intelligible through Elisha's narrative." -T.M. Luhrmann, Watkins University Professor, Stanford University
"Elisha is a wonderfully talented ethnographer-'empathetic' in the very best sense: critically engaged, attentive, and clearly committed to forming genuine relationships. I have tremendous admiration for the research that went into this project, and I can't wait to teach this book in my classes." -R. Marie Griffith, John A. Bartlett Professor, Harvard Divinity School
"A substantive and insightful work. It provides a rich picture of evangelical belief and practice while also clarifying the tensions and ambiguities many evangelical congregations face as they attempt to seek the peace of their earthly city in the name and hope of Christ."
