One Electorate Under God? A Dialogue on Religion and American Politics

This campaign season, experts are touting the “religion gap” as the most fundamental divide in the political landscape. Some pollsters have found that an individual’s level of religious commitment is a more significant indicator of voting behavior than education, income level, or gender. What role should religion play in American politics? Although the question is among the most passionately debated in public life, it is often that passion that makes civil debate impossible and hinders understanding among people of different faiths and ideologies.

By convening fifty distinguished religious leaders, intellectuals, politicians, and journalists, One Electorate Under God? demonstrates that passion and faith can be allies of reason and dialogue. This collection of essays is anchored in a conversation between two well-known public figures: former New York State governor Mario Cuomo, a liberal Catholic, and Indiana Congressman Mark Souder, a conservative, evangelical Christian. Each shows how his convictions and faith have been both shaped by and reflected in his career as a public servant.

This third volume in the Pew Forum Dialogues on Religion and Public Life, published by the Brookings Institution Press, takes a broad view of religion and civic life and provides context for an election year in which voters are deeply divided along religious and ideological lines.

Moderator:

LUIS LUGO

Director, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

Panelists:

DAVID BROOKS

Columnist, New York Times

E.J. DIONNE, JR.

Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution;

Columnist, Washington Post Writers Group

REP. DAVID E. PRICE (D-N.C.)

REP. MARK SOUDER (R-Ind.)

RSVP:

Online at www.pewforum.org or call the Pew Forum at 202/955-5075.