The Rights Turn in Conservative Christian Politics

Advance praise: 'Andrew R. Lewis has provided an excellent analysis which bridges the gaps between several subfields of political science. This work is empirically sophisticated, theoretically nuanced, and addresses important questions in normative democratic theory. As a study of the interplay of public opinion, public policy, and public discourse, this fine book will serve as an exemplar.' Ted G. Jelen, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Advance praise: As Andrew R. Lewis incisively argues, the rise of 'rights talk' among conservative evangelical Christians has profoundly shaped the American political landscape. If you want to understand the future of cultural politics in America, read this book. No longer do evangelicals claim to speak for a moral majority; instead, they seek the protection of their rights as an embattled minority. This insight - masterfully chronicled and convincingly argued - is like a Rosetta Stone for contemporary cultural politics. It illuminates everything from the ongoing debate over so-called 'religious freedom' statutes to why evangelicals supported Donald Trump.' David Campbell, University of Notre Dame, Indiana Advance praise: 'In The Rights Turn, Lewis engages in social theorizing in grand style, charting the dramatic shift in evangelical advocacy motivated by abortion politics and a new minority status. Evangelicals learned about rights politics, began making rights claims, and found themselves extending rights claims to other issues and groups. Lewis' fascinating book transforms the usual culture war narrative to one both more important and more American, as Constitutional pluralism bends groups' commitments to its ineluctable logic.' Paul A. Djupe, Denison University, Ohio