Paul Lichterman is Associate Professor of Sociology and Religion at the University of Southern California. C. Brady Potts is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the University of Southern California.

"The very fact that this fine volume, edited by Paul Lichterman and C. Brady Potts, supports such a multidisciplinary dialogue is a testament to its quality and broad utility.Theoretically rich yet eminently accessible, The Civic Life of American Religion offers a bird's-eye view of how leading social scientists conceptualize and react to the public dimensions of American religion."—Laura R. Olson, Journal of the American Academy of Religion "The essays, introduction, and conclusion are clearly argued. This book provides not only a good introduction to some of the major themes in the sociological literature, but also a well-formulated challenge for future research on the intersection of religion and civic life."—Albert Wu, Religious Studies Review "This important work offers helpful correctives to the overly optimistic idea that more religion in the public sphere will lead to more social connectedness." —John H. Evans, University of California, San Diego "A lot of books lately extol the virtues of religion for American civil society. In contrast, this work offers interpretive essays--backed by systematic research--that provide a balanced assessment of both the benefits and drawbacks of religion in civic life, and point out directions for new theoretical and empirical work." —Rhys Williams, University of Cincinnati

• Contents Acknowledgments List of Contributors 1The Civic Life of American Religion: An Introductory Statement Paul Lichterman and C. Brady Potts 2The Varieties of Civic Experience Michael Schudson 3Congregations and Civic Life Nancy Ammerman 4Congregations' Significance to American Civic Life Mark Chaves 5Beyond Savior, Victim, and Sinner: Neighborhood Civic Life and "Absent Presence" in the Religious District Omar McRoberts 6How Religion Circulates in America's Local Public Square Paul Lichterman 7A Tacit Sense of Evil? The Meaning of Politics in United Methodist Debates Over Homosexuality Dawne Moon 8Conclusion: Rethinking Religion's Civic Life Paul Lichterman and C. Brady Potts Index

Paul Lichterman is Associate Professor of Sociology and Religion at the University of Southern California. C. Brady Potts is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the University of Southern California.

"The very fact that this fine volume, edited by Paul Lichterman and C. Brady Potts, supports such a multidisciplinary dialogue is a testament to its quality and broad utility.Theoretically rich yet eminently accessible, The Civic Life of American Religion offers a bird's-eye view of how leading social scientists conceptualize and react to the public dimensions of American religion."—Laura R. Olson, Journal of the American Academy of Religion "The essays, introduction, and conclusion are clearly argued. This book provides not only a good introduction to some of the major themes in the sociological literature, but also a well-formulated challenge for future research on the intersection of religion and civic life."—Albert Wu, Religious Studies Review "This important work offers helpful correctives to the overly optimistic idea that more religion in the public sphere will lead to more social connectedness." —John H. Evans, University of California, San Diego "A lot of books lately extol the virtues of religion for American civil society. In contrast, this work offers interpretive essays--backed by systematic research--that provide a balanced assessment of both the benefits and drawbacks of religion in civic life, and point out directions for new theoretical and empirical work." —Rhys Williams, University of Cincinnati

• Contents Acknowledgments List of Contributors 1The Civic Life of American Religion: An Introductory Statement Paul Lichterman and C. Brady Potts 2The Varieties of Civic Experience Michael Schudson 3Congregations and Civic Life Nancy Ammerman 4Congregations' Significance to American Civic Life Mark Chaves 5Beyond Savior, Victim, and Sinner: Neighborhood Civic Life and "Absent Presence" in the Religious District Omar McRoberts 6How Religion Circulates in America's Local Public Square Paul Lichterman 7A Tacit Sense of Evil? The Meaning of Politics in United Methodist Debates Over Homosexuality Dawne Moon 8Conclusion: Rethinking Religion's Civic Life Paul Lichterman and C. Brady Potts Index