Politics, Religion, and Culture in an Anxious Age

American politics is increasingly driven by apocalyptic rhetoric. The religious right foretells an end of time battle between good and evil, but their voices are only the most obvious of several strains of apocalyptic thought. Immigration reformers, financial elites, and environmentalists all present doomsday scenarios. This book examines their rhetoric, narratives, and policy agendas as well as mainstream media treatment. Highlighting possible adverse consequences of such politics for our freedom and quality of life, the book suggests alternative policy agendas, religious and philosophical discourses, cultural framing and modes of daily living in an effort to defuse what it takes to be a divisive politics that paradoxically increases the very risks it highlights. Cover......Page 1 Halftitle......Page 2 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Preface: A Hair Trigger Nation?......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Introduction: Listening to Talk Radio......Page 18 The Human Predicament......Page 19 Religion’s Many Voices......Page 20 Politics and Passion......Page 24 One: Evil and Identity ......Page 28 Democracy and the Paradox of Politics......Page 29 Deep Pluralist Truths......Page 32 Multidimensional Pluralism......Page 36 Public Policy and Plural Resources......Page 39 Reflections on the Superdome: Whose and Which Crimes Count? 25......Page 42 The Long Legacy of Race......Page 47 The Social Gospel and its Critics......Page 49 From FDR to Montgomery: The Limits of Reform......Page 56 Rosa Parks’s Legacy......Page 58 Three: From the Model T to the Hummer: The Economics and Aesthetics of the American Automobile ......Page 64 Auto Dependence: Addiction or Choice?......Page 65 A Theology of the Auto......Page 77 A Catholic Alternative......Page 79 Other Voices: Process Theology, Complexity Theory, Immanent Naturalism......Page 81 Four: The Immigrants are Coming! The Immigrants areComing! ......Page 94 Immigrants and Lawlessness......Page 96 Immigration and Working-class Wages......Page 97 Civilizational Rhetoric and Multidimensional Alternatives......Page 101 A Theology of Clear Borders......Page 102 Other Christian Voices......Page 103 Beyond Border Wars......Page 107 Five: US Capitalism’s Bumpy Ride: Where To From Here? ......Page 112 From the Golden Age to Reagan......Page 113 The Rise of Crony Disaster Capitalism......Page 117 Predicting the Future: Scientific Laws, Social Evolution, andRevisiting Darwin......Page 123 Will American Keynesians Raise their Game?......Page 126 Models of Uncertainty......Page 129 Immediate Reforms and the Hazards of Left Apocalypse......Page 134 Economic Democracy and Social Issues......Page 136 Corporate Governance and 1970s Fears......Page 138 Shortening Hours: Coping with Depression and Preadaptingto a New World?......Page 139 Doomsday and the Left......Page 144 Global Conflict, the Nation State, and Fragile Identity......Page 152 The Quest for Winning Wars and Definable Moments......Page 155 The Politics of Cold War and Globalization......Page 158 From Iraq to Iran—In Quest of Demons......Page 159 State Funerals and Court Historians......Page 161 Dissent and Security at Home......Page 164 Private Wealth and Peace of Mind......Page 169 On Wars, Reunions, and the Politics of Everyday Life......Page 171 Epilogue: Lessons from Lysistrata......Page 174 Conclusion: Addressing a World of Rhizomatic Crises......Page 182 Is BP an Environmental Terrorist?......Page 183 BP’s Accomplice: Car Culture and American Life......Page 187 The Retreat to Budgetary Fundamentalism......Page 189 Recovering from Deficit Obsessions......Page 191 Arizona and the Politics of Immigration......Page 194 A Concluding Note on Climate Change......Page 196 Notes......Page 200 Bibliography......Page 210 Index......Page 214 American politics is increasingly driven by apocalyptic rhetoric. Highlighting possible adverse consequences of such politics for our freedom and quality of life, this book suggests alternative policy agendas, religious, and philosophical discourses, cultural framing and modes of daily living in an effort to defuse what it takes to be a divisive politics that paradoxically increases the very risks it highlights