Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite by D. Michael Lindsay

From the Publisher

Evangelicals, once at the periphery of American life, now wield power in the White House and on Wall Street, at Harvard and in Hollywood. How have they reached the pinnacles of power in such a short time? And what does this mean for evangelicals—and for America?

Drawing on personal interviews with an astonishing array of prominent Americans—including two former Presidents, dozens of political and government leaders, more than 100 top business executives, plus Hollywood moguls, intellectuals, athletes, and other powerful figures—D. Michael Lindsay shows first-hand how they are bringing their vision of moral leadership into the public square. This riveting volume tells us who the real evangelical power brokers are, how they rose to prominence, and what they're doing with their clout. Lindsay reveals that evangelicals are now at home in the executive suite and on the studio lot, and from those lofty perches they have used their influence, money, and ideas to build up the evangelical movement and introduce it to the wider American society. They are leaders of powerful institutions and their goals are ambitious—to bring Christian principles to bear on virtually every aspect of American life.

Along the way, the book is packed with fascinating stories and striking insights. Lindsay shows how evangelicals became a force in American foreign policy, how Fortune 500 companies are becoming faith-friendly, and how the new generation of the faithful is led by cosmopolitan evangelicals. These are well-educated men and women who read both The New York Times and Christianity Today, and who are wary of the evangelical masses' penchant for polarizing rhetoric, apocalypticpot-boilers, and bad Christian rock. Perhaps most startling is the importance of personal relationships between leaders—a quiet conversation after Bible study can have more impact than thousands of people marching in the streets.

Faith in the Halls of Power takes us inside the rarified world of the evangelical elite—beyond the hysterical panic and chest-thumping pride—to give us the real story behind the evangelical ascendancy in America.

The New York Times - Alan Wolfe

Should we expect evangelicals, because they are so upfront about their faith, to act differently than the less devout? Evangelicals, as D. Michael Lindsay demonstrates with impressive research and inexhaustible energy in Faith in the Halls of Power, have made great strides in entering mainstream institutions like academia, government, the media and business. Unless we are interested in religion for reasons of pride—the way young Jewish baseball fans would single out Sandy Koufax, or, in my Philadelphia childhood, Saul Rogovin, for special notice—Lindsay's subject matter should pique everyone's curiosity.

Publishers Weekly

Lindsay, a sociologist at Rice University who has previously worked with pollster George Gallup Jr., looks at the rise of evangelical Christian influence in the spheres of power of American public life: political, intellectual, cultural and economic. Based on interviews with 360 leaders from these spheres, including two former presidents, as well as a command of what everybody else has heretofore written, Lindsay demonstrates how over the past two decades evangelicals have moved into positions of great influence. From a sociological point of view, their path to power is easy to discern through networks of relationships or institutions that have seeded larger political and economic institutions. This growing network has produced new leaders whose ideas and actions are motivated by their Christianity. The interviews allow Lindsay to cite numerous examples that make his point persuasively. He is a sympathetic observer who understands that evangelicalism is as reformist as any other movement that has ascended to power in America. Yet he also understands that evangelicalism has made accommodation to the larger public life it seeks to reform, a tension he calls "elastic orthodoxy." This important work should be required reading for anyone who wants to opine publicly on what American evangelicals are really up to. (Oct.)

George Westerlund - Library Journal

This definitive work by Lindsay (sociologist, Rice Univ.), who has coauthored two books with George Gallup Jr., addresses the whos, whys, whats, and implications of the evangelical movement's increasing impact on the realm of politics and the marketplace. Lindsay conducted more than 350 in-depth interviews with politicians, academics, artists, media and film people, corporate leaders, White House staff, and U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush. He also interviewed pastors of large churches, seminary presidents, and heads of evangelical organizations. Some participants with whom he spoke are public about their faith, while others express only their beliefs in private; some emphasize a vibrant religious experience, while others primarily promote issues like the environment and welfare. Lindsay explores evangelical social networks and organization: one "nonpartisan" gathering, called Renaissance Weekends, has included key Democrats (e.g., Hillary and Bill Clinton) among its early participants. Another group, Faith and Law, composed mostly of senior staffers on Capitol Hill, was formed to think through the implications of faith-informed public policy. Lindsay predicts we may soon see whether evangelicals become a counterculture for the common good, or, as some critics fear, amount to a religious crusade. Highly recommended for all libraries.

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