another factoid

[Nathan Newman]

You can see evidence of this new upscale fundamentalism in the popularity of
preaching designed to make people feel good about their success - with a
share of course to the minister in thanks for that financial grace from God.
We had a thread on the use of the "Parable of the Talents" a while ago and
that gospel of wealth is definately a popular part of the current crop of
preachers; there is actually an interesting parallel to the popularity of a
major bestseller "The Man No One Knows" (I think that was the title) that
was popular in the bull market of the 1920s that noted that Christ loved to
hang out with rich people.

With the news that 401Ks too a 10% dive last year, it will be interesting to
see what that brand of fundamentalist preachers say when God starts taking
away from their flock?

Nathan Newman
nathan at newman.org
http://www.nathannewman.org

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chip Berlet" <cberlet at igc.org>
To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2001 7:00 PM
Subject: Re: another factoid

Hi,

This is a really important point that Nathan makes, since
some research argues that the social base of the Christian
Right activists is among upwardly-mobile suburban
evangelicals and fundamentalists. Above average in wealth
and education. So it may be that the new economic and social
status helps drive the political activism, and may even be
the more important factor.  Mixed opinions on that. I would
like to solicite cites from those who have seen good
research. The research I did for Right-wing Populism in
America is now two to eight years old and predates the 2000
campaign figures.

-Chip

----- Original Message -----
From: "Nathan Newman" <nathan at newman.org>
To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2001 6:14 PM
Subject: Re: another factoid


> The other reality is that fundamentalism has been
recruiting upmarket
> economically in recent years- richer Protestants used to
be in the mainline
> denominations but are increasingly in denominations
designated
> fundamentalist or evangelical.
>
> So at least part of the shift in religious voting is due
to that economic
> shift, although there are unquestionably cultural parts of
the political
> shift as well based on the rise of abortion, gay rights
and other issues
> within the Democratic coalition.
>
> Nathan Newman