At Progressive Revival, Diana Butler Bass reflects on the discussion about the “‘new role’ of religion and politics” featured on the Chris Matthews Show this week:
Why does the media insist on believing that American religion exists dualistically—consisting of religion bashers and fundamentalists? What about the rest of us? Mainline Protestants, social justice Roman Catholics, progressive evangelicals, and practicing Jews (who probably weren’t watching because tonight is Passover) are missing from public discussion about faith and politics. The media appears to believe that Hitchens and Blackwell fairly represent the “extremes” and that if you add them together then divide by two, you get the opinion of the rest of us. It amounts to spiritual voyeurism, intended to drive ratings and not much else.
Although American religion certainly has entertaining extremists, they do not represent regular people and how faith and politics work. American religion is more subtle and complex, full of questions and surprises that shape our communal life in ways that deserve thoughtful commentary—and thoughtful commentary doesn’t mean boring.
Read the full piece here.