INTRODUCTION In the United States many Christians are concerned with the perceived erosion of family values and

the escalation of secular philosophy upon society. Concern over issues such as

abortion and same sex marriage, has led to increased activism by a group of motivated Christians known as the Religious Right, 1 intent on restraining immorality through political and legislative means. However, many secular intellectuals along with a growing number of Christian evangelicals, question whether Christians should be so immersed in politics. They do so, partly, because

they believe church and state should retain separate roles in society on the basis of lessons learned from history, the United States Constitution, and other legal and political considerations. To find cogent and relevant solutions to these complex issues, perspectives from a wide array of disciplines were analyzed. It is assumed that a justification, or lack thereof,

will be using the terms Religious Right, the Christian Right, theocons, and Fundamentalists interchangeably. They refer to a loosely knit, politically motivated segment of Christian evangelicals intent on making the United States a more moral and Christian nation. They do not consist of any one particular denomination or Christian faith. 1

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2 for legislating morality is determined by general revelation, 1 and the dialogue currently taking place in disciplines appropriate to the subject matter. Although Scripture is alluded

to in the discussion, it serves a complementary role instead of a primary one. Research was initiated with an examination of the Religious Right and their history. Next, current and applicable

literature was analyzed in the fields of history, law, ethics, political theology, sociology, philosophy, and other relevant disciplines. Conclusions were then drawn concerning issues

related to church and state, and morality legislation. Due to the allotted page limit of this assignment, various factors were not brought to bear upon the discussion. For example, the historical context of the Christian church and the United States pertinent to the analysis are considered only indirectly. Furthermore, the ideas of various theologians,

Christian writers, and political theorists who throughout history have contributed to the discussion are not addressed explicitly, although their imprint permeates the debate.

general revelation, I am here and elsewhere referring to the understanding that the ideal form of government and its relationship to its citizens can be derived from reason, intellect, and the various academic disciplines, assuming they comply with biblical principles. This understanding will be assumed throughout the paper.

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THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT Who Are They? Since the Religious Right is the foremost group pushing for morality legislation, it is important to understand who they are, how they came into existence, and what they are determined to accomplish. Although Protestant Christians can be broken up into many factions, there are three primary groups who wield the most political influence: first, the group of Christians to which the Religious Right belong (namely, the Fundamentalists), liberal Christians, and the broad mainline evangelical community. 1 Evidence suggests that those who comprise the Religious Right are not only growing in number, 2 they are also highly influential 3 and play a major role within the Republican Party. 4

Russell Mead, Gods Country? Foreign Affairs 85, no. 6 (2006): 24-43. [journal on-line]; available from http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20060901faessay85504/walterrussell-mead/god-s-country.html; internet; accessed December 1, 2008. H. Esbeck, Governance and the Religion Question: Voluntaryism, Disestablishment, and Americas Church-State Proposition, Journal of Church and State 48 (2006): 324. Peter Irons, God on Trial (New York: Viking Penguin, Penguin, 2007), 49.
3 2Carl

1Walter

Wallerstein, Render unto Caesar? The Dilemmas of a Multicultural World, Sociology of Religion 66 (2005): 128.

4Immanuel

4 Their increasing political clout is buttressed by their association with Roman Catholics, made possible initially through the efforts of Richard John Neuhaus, 1 and their mutual agreement in promoting conservative values 2 and pro-active participation in the political sphere. 3 Today, the Christian Right, made up of

mostly white, evangelical Christians, has become in the words of one political scientist, a formidable force in American politics.4 A Brief History It was in the 1960s that the roots of the emerging Religious Right were laid with the growing sentiment that religious voices had been marginalized for far too long.5 Christians felt that secular, humanistic, and relativistic philosophies were eroding the moral fabric of America and several key figures took it upon themselves to do something about it. It must be pointed out, however, that the Religious Right had its salient beginnings in the mid1970s when the campaign and Linker, The Theocons: Secular America Under Siege (New York: Doubleday, Random House, 2006), 7. Land of the Southern Baptist Convention states that it was the issue of abortion specifically that brought about the unprecedented alliance between Catholics and Protestants in the late 1980s. Richard Land, The Divided States of America (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 9. R. Hoover, Ecumenism of the Trenches? The Politics of Evangelical-Catholic Alliances, Journal of Ecumenical Studies 41 (2004): 247-271. E. Campbell, Religious Threat in Contemporary Presidential Elections, Journal of Politics 68 (2006): 104. J. Dionne, Jr., Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics after the Religious Right (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2008), 36.
5Eugene 4David 3Dennis 2Richard 1Damon

Many

5 election of born-again Christian Jimmy Carter catapulted evangelical Christians into the political spotlight. 1 His

presidency saw the formation of the Religious Right into a formidable voting bloc,2 which ironically mobilized to defeat him in 1980. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Christian activist Francis Schaeffer, considered by Richard Land the most influential conservative of the modern era, 3 set upon a course to inspire a generation of evangelical intellectuals and sparked an emerging network of conservative activists towards political ends.4 His influence led many Evangelicals to question

the modern notion of separation of church and state that he felt was preventing Christians from voicing their moral concerns on the public stage. 5 Through his efforts, the notion of political

involvement by Christians gained wider appeal. But it was the activities of Richard John Neuhaus that cemented the movement of the emerging Christian Right. Considered the founder of the movement, Neuhaus published The Naked Public Square in 1984 which became the manifesto of the Balmer, Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts the Faith and Threatens America (New York: Basic Books, Perseus, 2006), 169. Balmer, God in the White House: A History: How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George Bush (New York: HarperOne, HarperCollins, 2008), 80.
3Land, 2Randall 1Randall

Marsh, Wayward Christian Soldiers: Freeing the Gospel from Political Captivity (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 22. A. Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto (Westchester, IL: Crossway, Good News, 1981), 36.
5Francis

4Charles

6 theoconservative movement. 1 He stated, in no ambiguous terms,

that the intent of the book was to significantly change the role of religion in public life. 2 Ultimately, Neuhaus was able to do what had not been accomplished before. He captured the elites of America by

offering Evangelicals an intellectual basis for the claim that moral values were to be advanced by the government, and that it was their religious imperative to be involved in politics for such purposes. 3 Thus, through the efforts of leaders like Schaeffer and Neuhaus the way was paved for the development and legitimization of the Religious Right. Today they claim a multitude of

influential leaders from Michael Novak and George Weigel to scholars like Robert P. George of Princeton University and Hadley Arkes of Amherst College.4 Furthermore, the Religious Right is no longer a movement on the margins. Their leaders now occupy seats of position from

the White House to Wall Street and Ivy League campuses around the country, exerting their influence through various policy initiatives. 5

1Linker, 2Richard

11.

John Neuhaus, The Naked Public Square: Religion and Democracy in America (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984), 4. Feldman, Divided by God: Americas Church-State Problem and What We Should Do about It (New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2005), 197.
4Linker, 5D. 3Noah

8, 9.

Michael Lindsay, Elite Power: Social Networks within American Evangelicalism, Sociology of Religion 67 (2006): 224.

7 Their Agenda Their agenda is a simple one. Immanuel Wallerstein has

keenly noted, they are seeking to transform the range of governmental structures that include the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government into instruments reflecting their views and priorities, which is to end the dominance of secular humanism, end multi-culturalism, and restore the definition of the United States as a Christian nation.1 If Wallerstein is correct in his assessment, the question every thoughtful Christian must ask is whether or not a justification can be made for such political activism by the Religious Right, whatever their intentions might be. In order to

achieve that end, biblical, historical, and constitutional considerations will now be examined.

1Wallerstein,

128.