Robert Wuthnow

An incisive examination of progressive faith-based activism and its impact on American public life While the Religious Right often dominates headlines, the Religious Left has been a persistent and influential force in shaping public policy across a wide spectrum of issues – from immigration and climate change to gun reform, marriage equality, and criminal justice. Despite its lower visibility, its contributions have been substantial, though not always successful. In The Religious Left, Robert Wuthnow offers a compelling analysis of progressive religious activism over the past 25 years. Drawing on policy documents, denominational reports, and public testimony, he highlights the work of key leaders and organizations operating largely behind the scenes. The book places contemporary efforts in historical context, tracing their roots to the Social Gospel movement of the nineteenth century and examining how strategies and priorities have evolved. Through in-depth case studies of nine major issues, Wuthnow assesses the strengths and limitations of the Religious Left's approach to advocacy. He offers thoughtful recommendations for faith leaders and congregations seeking to engage more effectively in progressive activism – especially at a time when democracy itself is embattled.

An incisive examination of progressive faith-based activism and its impact on American public life While the Religious Right often dominates headlines, the Religious Left has been a persistent and influential force in shaping public policy across a wide spectrum of issues – from immigration and climate change to gun reform, marriage equality, and criminal justice. Despite its lower visibility, its contributions have been substantial, though not always successful. In The Religious Left, Robert Wuthnow offers a compelling analysis of progressive religious activism over the past 25 years. Drawing on policy documents, denominational reports, and public testimony, he highlights the work of key leaders and organizations operating largely behind the scenes. The book places contemporary efforts in historical context, tracing their roots to the Social Gospel movement of the nineteenth century and examining how strategies and priorities have evolved. Through in-depth case studies of nine major issues, Wuthnow assesses the strengths and limitations of the Religious Left's approach to advocacy. He offers thoughtful recommendations for faith leaders and congregations seeking to engage more effectively in progressive activism – especially at a time when democracy itself is embattled.

The communities, congregations, and faith-based coalitions that have been working for racial justice over the past fifty years Have progressive religious organizations been missing in action in recent struggles for racial justice? In Faith Communities and the Fight for Racial Justice, Robert Wuthnow shows that, contrary to activists’ accusations of complacency, Black and White faith leaders have fought steadily for racial and social justice since the end of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Wuthnow introduces us to the communities, congregations, and faith-based coalitions that have worked on fair housing, school desegregation, affirmative action, criminal justice, and other issues over many years. Often overshadowed by the Religious Right, these progressive faith-based racial justice advocates kept up the fight even as media attention shifted elsewhere. Wuthnow tells the stories of the faith-based affordable housing project in St. Louis that sparked controversy in the Nixon White House; a pastor’s lawsuit in North Carolina that launched the nation’s first busing program for school desegregation; the faith outreach initiative for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign; and church-mobilized protests following the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, and George Floyd. Drawing on extensive materials from denominations, journalists, and social scientists, Wuthnow offers a detailed and frank discussion of both the achievements and the limitations of faith leaders’ roles. He focuses on different issues that emerged at different times, tracing the efforts of Black and White faith leaders who sometimes worked cooperatively and more often tackled problems in complementary ways. Taken together, these stories provide lessons in what faith communities have done and how they can better advocate for racial justice in the years ahead.

How does religious faith contribute to happiness? The usual answer is that religious belief relieves the anxieties of ordinary life and that religious belonging provides emotional support. But a growing body of literature suggests that happiness is more complicated than that. Happiness is not only a feeling. It is a practice that we engage in actively, that we attempt to manage, and that is in many ways managed for us -- by social norms and institutions. In Nurturing Happiness, Robert Wuthnow develops the concept of emotional practice and locates it in the sociological literature on practice theory. He describes how American faith leaders at pivotal moments in their history attempted to nurture -- and control -- their adherents' thoughts about happiness and their experiences of it. He shows how religious authorities used their discursive power to draw moral distinctions among kinds of happiness and their institutional power to manage where it took place and how it was expressed. And he demonstrates that religious authorities' efforts to nurture happiness, while not always effective, played a crucial role in faith communities' adaptation to changing social conditions. This book describes these adaptations in colonial-era arguments about heavenly joy and virtuous living, nineteenth-century revival meetings and festive events, Progressive-era advocacy for useful service, recent efforts to link play with transcendence and to associate joyful spirituality with personal discipline, and current responses to the fallout from illicit pursuits of happiness. Nurturing Happiness is required reading for anyone interested in understanding how religious faith relates to happiness.

How does religious faith contribute to happiness? The usual answer is that religious belief relieves the anxieties of ordinary life and that religious belonging provides emotional support. But a growing body of literature suggests that happiness is more complicated than that. Happiness is not only a feeling. It is a practice that we engage in actively, that we attempt to manage, and that is in many ways managed for us -- by social norms and institutions. In Nurturing Happiness, Robert Wuthnow develops the concept of emotional practice and locates it in the sociological literature on practice theory. He describes how American faith leaders at pivotal moments in their history attempted to nurture -- and control -- their adherents' thoughts about happiness and their experiences of it. He shows how religious authorities used their discursive power to draw moral distinctions among kinds of happiness and their institutional power to manage where it took place and how it was expressed. And he demonstrates that religious authorities' efforts to nurture happiness, while not always effective, played a crucial role in faith communities' adaptation to changing social conditions. This book describes these adaptations in colonial-era arguments about heavenly joy and virtuous living, nineteenth-century revival meetings and festive events, Progressive-era advocacy for useful service, recent efforts to link play with transcendence and to associate joyful spirituality with personal discipline, and current responses to the fallout from illicit pursuits of happiness. Nurturing Happiness is required reading for anyone interested in understanding how religious faith relates to happiness.

The communities, congregations, and faith-based coalitions that have been working for racial justice over the past fifty yearsHave progressive religious organizations been missing in action in recent struggles for racial justice? In Faith Communities and the Fight for Racial Justice, Robert Wuthnow shows that, contrary to activists’ accusations of complacency, Black and White faith leaders have fought steadily for racial and social justice since the end of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Wuthnow introduces us to the communities, congregations, and faith-based coalitions that have worked on fair housing, school desegregation, affirmative action, criminal justice, and other issues over many years. Often overshadowed by the Religious Right, these progressive faith-based racial justice advocates kept up the fight even as media attention shifted elsewhere.Wuthnow tells the stories of the faith-based affordable housing project in St. Louis that sparked controversy in the Nixon White House; a pastor’s lawsuit in North Carolina that launched the nation’s first busing program for school desegregation; the faith outreach initiative for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign; and church-mobilized protests following the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, and George Floyd. Drawing on extensive materials from denominations, journalists, and social scientists, Wuthnow offers a detailed and frank discussion of both the achievements and the limitations of faith leaders’ roles. He focuses on different issues that emerged at different times, tracing the efforts of Black and White faith leaders who sometimes worked cooperatively and more often tackled problems in complementary ways. Taken together, these stories provide lessons in what faith communities have done and how they can better advocate for racial justice in the years ahead.

What makes religion so powerful? Why does it attract so many followers? Raise so much money? Influence how people vote? The usual answer is that religion is powerful because it offers divine hope. But there is more to it than that. Why does a worship service seem powerful? Why is it powerful to hear someone testify about their faith? Who sets the rules for who can be a member and who cannot? What does religion do to reinforce gender and racial differences? Or to challenge them? Religion's Power takes a fresh look at these questions by examining what happens during religious rituals to signal the leader's power, the power of the deity being worshipped, and, inadvertently, why some people in the congregation are deemed more powerful than others. Robert Wuthnow explores how religious narratives are constructed to demonstrate sincerity, how religious organizations control time by controlling space, how codified knowledge gives religious organizations power, and the small ways in which religion shapes identities and politics. Building on classical work in the sociology of religion and drawing extensively on historical and ethnographic studies, Religion's Power foregrounds cases ranging from nineteenth-century church organ and lightning rod controversies to current clashes about border walls and racial justice. This is a book for beginning students of religion as well as for advanced scholars and for practitioners, fellow travelers, and critics who want to understand better what makes religion powerful.

The late 1960s and early 1970s marked an era of profound social experimentation and cultural transformation. This period saw an explosion of countercultural movements, ranging from communes and alternative family structures to radical political organizations like SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) and SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army). Alongside these visible upheavals, subtler shifts occurred in societal attitudes toward sexuality, race, religion, and politics, reflecting a broader reimagining of fundamental social norms. These changes collectively signify a pivotal moment in American history, with enduring implications for understanding social conflict and transformation. This book seeks to explain the underlying forces driving these shifts by focusing on what we term the "new consciousness"—a cultural evolution that legitimized and encouraged social experimentation. Departing from traditional analyses that attribute unrest to economic or institutional strains, this study explores symbolic cultural constructions and their role in reshaping societal values. By emphasizing how individuals interpret their circumstances rather than solely examining objective conditions, we align with theoretical traditions like those of Weber and symbolic interactionism. Our inquiry examines four dominant meaning systems in American culture—Theism, Individualism, Social Determinism, and Mysticism—and their varying relationships with social experimentation, aiming to uncover how these symbolic frameworks influence attitudes, behaviors, and societal change. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1976.

The late 1960s and early 1970s marked an era of profound social experimentation and cultural transformation. This period saw an explosion of countercultural movements, ranging from communes and alternative family structures to radical political organizations like SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) and SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army). Alongside these visible upheavals, subtler shifts occurred in societal attitudes toward sexuality, race, religion, and politics, reflecting a broader reimagining of fundamental social norms. These changes collectively signify a pivotal moment in American history, with enduring implications for understanding social conflict and transformation. This book seeks to explain the underlying forces driving these shifts by focusing on what we term the "new consciousness"—a cultural evolution that legitimized and encouraged social experimentation. Departing from traditional analyses that attribute unrest to economic or institutional strains, this study explores symbolic cultural constructions and their role in reshaping societal values. By emphasizing how individuals interpret their circumstances rather than solely examining objective conditions, we align with theoretical traditions like those of Weber and symbolic interactionism. Our inquiry examines four dominant meaning systems in American culture—Theism, Individualism, Social Determinism, and Mysticism—and their varying relationships with social experimentation, aiming to uncover how these symbolic frameworks influence attitudes, behaviors, and societal change. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1976.

Experimentation in American Religion: The New Mysticism and Their Implications for the Churches explores the emergence of new religious movements in America, particularly those outside the traditional Judeo-Christian framework. Wuthnow examines these movements in the context of the societal shifts during the 20th century, focusing on why they gained popularity, especially among groups that traditional religions had struggled to engage, such as college students, young people, and the educated. These new religions often draw from Eastern spiritual practices, the occult, and humanistic ideals, challenging the dominance of conventional Western religious traditions. The book uses a sociological approach, relying on random-sample surveys to analyze patterns in religious commitment, focusing on social factors such as education, age, and background. Although the study acknowledges the limitations of sociological data in fully capturing the nuances of religious belief, it aims to provide insight into the social context of these new religious movements and why certain individuals are attracted to them. The author avoids adhering to any single sociological theory, recognizing that different types of new religious movements, such as yoga, astrology, and psychic phenomena, require distinct explanations. This work is part of a larger project to understand the changing religious landscape in America, building on the research conducted by Wuthnow and others at the Survey Research Center. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1978.

Experimentation in American Religion: The New Mysticism and Their Implications for the Churches explores the emergence of new religious movements in America, particularly those outside the traditional Judeo-Christian framework. Wuthnow examines these movements in the context of the societal shifts during the 20th century, focusing on why they gained popularity, especially among groups that traditional religions had struggled to engage, such as college students, young people, and the educated. These new religions often draw from Eastern spiritual practices, the occult, and humanistic ideals, challenging the dominance of conventional Western religious traditions. The book uses a sociological approach, relying on random-sample surveys to analyze patterns in religious commitment, focusing on social factors such as education, age, and background. Although the study acknowledges the limitations of sociological data in fully capturing the nuances of religious belief, it aims to provide insight into the social context of these new religious movements and why certain individuals are attracted to them. The author avoids adhering to any single sociological theory, recognizing that different types of new religious movements, such as yoga, astrology, and psychic phenomena, require distinct explanations. This work is part of a larger project to understand the changing religious landscape in America, building on the research conducted by Wuthnow and others at the Survey Research Center. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1978.

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 spanning the past century: during the Great Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the debates about welfare reform, the recent struggles for immigrant rights and economic equality, and responses to the coronavirus pandemic. The engagement of religious groups in advocacy and counteradvocacy has sharpened arguments about authoritarianism, liberty of conscience, freedom of assembly, human dignity, citizens’ rights, equality, and public health. Wuthnow hones in on key principles of democratic governance and provides a hopeful yet realistic appraisal of what religion can and cannot achieve.At a time when many observers believe American democracy to be in dire need of revitalization, Why Religion Is Good for American Democracy illustrates how religious groups have contributed to this end and how they might continue to do so despite the many challenges faced by the nation.

A vivid and moving portrait of America's farm familiesFarming is essential to the American economy and our daily lives, yet few of us have much contact with farmers except through the food we eat. Who are America's farmers? Why is farming important to them? How are they coping with dramatic changes to their way of life? In the Blood paints a vivid and moving portrait of America’s farm families, shedding new light on their beliefs, values, and complicated relationship with the land.Drawing on more than two hundred in-depth interviews, Robert Wuthnow presents farmers in their own voices as they speak candidly about their family traditions, aspirations for their children, business arrangements, and conflicts with family members. They describe their changing relationships with neighbors, their shifting views about religion, and the subtle ways they defend their personal independence. Wuthnow shares the stories of farmers who operate dairies, raise livestock, and grow our fruit and vegetables. We hear from corn and soybean farmers, wheat-belt farmers, and cotton growers. We gain new insights into how farmers assign meaning to the land, and how they grapple with the increasingly difficult challenges of biotechnology and global markets.In the Blood reveals how, despite profound changes in modern agriculture, farming remains an enduring commitment that runs deeply in the veins of today’s farm families.

How American respectability has been built by maligning those who don't make the gradeHow did Americans come to think of themselves as respectable members of the middle class? Was it just by earning a decent living? Or did it require something more? And if it did, what can we learn that may still apply?The quest for middle-class respectability in nineteenth-century America is usually described as a process of inculcating positive values such as honesty, hard work, independence, and cultural refinement. But clergy, educators, and community leaders also defined respectability negatively, by maligning individuals and groups—“misfits”—who deviated from accepted norms.Robert Wuthnow argues that respectability is constructed by “othering” people who do not fit into easily recognizable, socially approved categories. He demonstrates this through an in-depth examination of a wide variety of individuals and groups that became objects of derision. We meet a disabled Civil War veteran who worked as a huckster on the edges of the frontier, the wife of a lunatic who raised her family while her husband was institutionalized, an immigrant religious community accused of sedition, and a wealthy scion charged with profiteering.Unlike respected Americans who marched confidently toward worldly and heavenly success, such misfits were usually ignored in paeans about the nation. But they played an important part in the cultural work that made America, and their story is essential for understanding the “othering” that remains so much a part of American culture and politics today.

An exploration of the interdisciplinary methods used to understand religious practiceReligion is commonly viewed as something that people practice, whether in the presence of others or alone. But what do we mean exactly by "practice"? What approaches help to answer this question? What Happens When We Practice Religion? delves into the central concepts, arguments, and tools used to understand religion today.Throughout the past few decades, the study of religion has shifted away from essentialist arguments that grandly purport to explain what religion is and why it exists. Instead, using methods from anthropology, psychology, religious studies, and sociology, scholars now focus on what people do and say: their daily religious habits, routines, improvisations, and adaptations. Robert Wuthnow shows how four intersecting areas of inquiry—situations, intentions, feelings, and bodies—shed important light on religious practice, and he explores such topics as the role of religious experiences in sacred spaces, gendered social relationships, educational settings, the arts, meditation, and ritual.Suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, What Happens When We Practice Religion? provides insights into the diverse ways that religion manifests in ordinary life.Summarizes the latest theories and empirical methods of religious practiceShows how the study of religion has changedIncludes chapters on theory, situations, intentions, feelings, and bodiesDraws from anthropology, psychology, religious studies, and sociologyAccessible for undergraduate and graduate courses

An exploration of the interdisciplinary methods used to understand religious practiceReligion is commonly viewed as something that people practice, whether in the presence of others or alone. But what do we mean exactly by "practice"? What approaches help to answer this question? What Happens When We Practice Religion? delves into the central concepts, arguments, and tools used to understand religion today.Throughout the past few decades, the study of religion has shifted away from essentialist arguments that grandly purport to explain what religion is and why it exists. Instead, using methods from anthropology, psychology, religious studies, and sociology, scholars now focus on what people do and say: their daily religious habits, routines, improvisations, and adaptations. Robert Wuthnow shows how four intersecting areas of inquiry—situations, intentions, feelings, and bodies—shed important light on religious practice, and he explores such topics as the role of religious experiences in sacred spaces, gendered social relationships, educational settings, the arts, meditation, and ritual.Suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, What Happens When We Practice Religion? provides insights into the diverse ways that religion manifests in ordinary life.Summarizes the latest theories and empirical methods of religious practiceShows how the study of religion has changedIncludes chapters on theory, situations, intentions, feelings, and bodiesDraws from anthropology, psychology, religious studies, and sociologyAccessible for undergraduate and graduate courses

How a fraying social fabric is fueling the outrage of rural AmericansWhat is fueling rural America’s outrage toward the federal government? Why did rural Americans vote overwhelmingly for Donald Trump? And is there a more nuanced explanation for the growing rural-urban divide? Drawing on more than a decade of research and hundreds of interviews, Robert Wuthnow brings us into America’s small towns, farms, and rural communities to paint a rich portrait of the moral order—the interactions, loyalties, obligations, and identities—underpinning this critical segment of the nation. Wuthnow demonstrates that to truly understand rural Americans’ anger, their culture must be explored more fully, and he shows that rural America’s fury stems less from economic concerns than from the perception that Washington is distant from and yet threatening to the social fabric of small towns. Moving beyond simplistic depictions of America’s heartland, The Left Behind offers a clearer picture of how this important population will influence the nation’s political future.

How a fraying social fabric is fueling the outrage of rural AmericansWhat is fueling rural America's outrage toward the federal government? Why did rural Americans vote overwhelmingly for Donald Trump? And, beyond economic and demographic decline, is there a more nuanced explanation for the growing rural-urban divide? Drawing on more than a decade of research and hundreds of interviews, Robert Wuthnow brings us into America's small towns, farms, and rural communities to paint a rich portrait of the moral order--the interactions, loyalties, obligations, and identities—underpinning this critical segment of the nation. Wuthnow demonstrates that to truly understand rural Americans' anger, their culture must be explored more fully. We hear from farmers who want government out of their business, factory workers who believe in working hard to support their families, town managers who find the federal government unresponsive to their communities' needs, and clergy who say the moral climate is being undermined. Wuthnow argues that rural America's fury stems less from specific economic concerns than from the perception that Washington is distant from and yet threatening to the social fabric of small towns. Rural dwellers are especially troubled by Washington's seeming lack of empathy for such small-town norms as personal responsibility, frugality, cooperation, and common sense. Wuthnow also shows that while these communities may not be as discriminatory as critics claim, racism and misogyny remain embedded in rural patterns of life.Moving beyond simplistic depictions of the residents of America's heartland, The Left Behind offers a clearer picture of how this important population will influence the nation's political future.

How American respectability has been built by maligning those who don't make the grade How did Americans come to think of themselves as respectable members of the middle class? Was it just by earning a decent living? Or did it require something more? And if it did, what can we learn that may still apply? The quest for middle-class respectability in nineteenth-century America is usually described as a process of inculcating positive values such as honesty, hard work, independence, and cultural refinement. But clergy, educators, and community leaders also defined respectability negatively, by maligning individuals and groups--"misfits"--who deviated from accepted norms. Robert Wuthnow argues that respectability is constructed by "othering" people who do not fit into easily recognizable, socially approved categories. He demonstrates this through an in-depth examination of a wide variety of individuals and groups that became objects of derision. We meet a disabled Civil War veteran who worked as a huckster on the edges of the frontier, the wife of a lunatic who raised her family while her husband was institutionalized, an immigrant religious community accused of sedition, and a wealthy scion charged with profiteering. Unlike respected Americans who marched confidently toward worldly and heavenly success, such misfits were usually ignored in paeans about the nation. But they played an important part in the cultural work that made America, and their story is essential for understanding the "othering" that remains so much a part of American culture and politics today.

Tracing the intersection of religion, race, and power in Texas from Reconstruction through the rise of the Religious Right and the failed presidential bid of Governor Rick Perry, Rough Country illuminates American history since the Civil War in new ways, demonstrating that Texas's story is also America's. In particular, Robert Wuthnow shows how distinctions between "us" and "them" are perpetuated and why they are so often shaped by religion and politics. Early settlers called Texas a rough country. Surviving there necessitated defining evil, fighting it, and building institutions in the hope of advancing civilization. Religion played a decisive role. Today, more evangelical Protestants live in Texas than in any other state. They have influenced every presidential election for fifty years, mobilized powerful efforts against abortion and same-sex marriage, and been a driving force in the Tea Party movement. And religion has always been complicated by race and ethnicity. Drawing from memoirs, newspapers, oral history, voting records, and surveys, Rough Country tells the stories of ordinary men and women who struggled with the conditions they faced, conformed to the customs they knew, and on occasion emerged as powerful national leaders. We see the lasting imprint of slavery, public executions, Jim Crow segregation, and resentment against the federal government. We also observe courageous efforts to care for the sick, combat lynching, provide for the poor, welcome new immigrants, and uphold liberty of conscience. A monumental and magisterial history, Rough Country is as much about the rest of America as it is about Texas.