Americansocietyisrapidlysecularizing-aradicaldeparturefromitshistoricallyhighlevelofreligiosity-andpoliticsisabigpartofthereason.Justas,fortyyearsago,theReligiousRightaroseasanewpoliticalmovement,todaysecularismisgainingtractionasadistinctandpoliticallyenergizedidentity.Thisbookexaminesthepoliticalcausesandpoliticalconsequencesofthissecularsurge,drawingonawealthoforiginaldata.TheauthorsshowthatsecularidentityisinpartareactiontotheReligiousRight.However,whilethepoliticalimpactofsecularismisprofound,theremaynotyetbeaSecularLefttocounterbalancetheReligiousRight.SecularismhasintroducednewtensionswithintheDemocraticPartywhileaddingoxygentopoliticalpolarizationbetweenDemocratsandRepublicans.StilltheremaybeopportunitiestoreachcommongroundifpoliticiansseektoforgecoalitionsthatencompassbothsecularandreligiousAmericans.
