Overview

Between Jesus and the Market looks at the appeal of the Christian right-wing movement in contemporary American politics and culture. In her discussions of books and videotapes that are widely distributed by the Christian right but little known by mainstream Americans, Linda Kintz makes explicit the crucial need to understand the psychological makeup of born-again Christians as well as the sociopolitical dynamics involved in their cause. She focuses on the role of religious women in right-wing Christianity and asks, for example, why so many women are attracted to what is often seen as an antiwoman philosophy. The result, a telling analysis of the complexity and appeal of the ""emotions that matter"" to many Americans, highlights how these emotions now determine public policy in ways that are increasingly dangerous for those outside familiarity’s circle. With texts from such organizations as the Christian Coalition, the Heritage Foundation, and Concerned Women for America, and writings by Elizabeth Dole, Newt Gingrich, Pat Robertson, and Rush Limbaugh, Kintz traces the usefulness of this activism for the secular claim that conservative political economy is, in fact, simply an expression of the deepest and most admirable elements of human nature itself. The discussion of Limbaugh shows how he draws on the skepticism of contemporary culture to create a sense of absolute truth within his own media performance-its truth guaranteed by the market. Kintz also describes how conservative interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, the U.S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence have been used to challenge causes such as feminism, women’s reproductive rights, and gay and lesbian rights. In addition to critiquing the intellectual and political left for underestimating the power of right-wing grassroots organizing, corporate interests, and postmodern media sophistication, Between Jesus and the Market discusses the proliferation of militia groups, Christian entrepreneurship, and the explosive growth and ""selling"" of the Promise Keepers.

Full Product Details

9780822319597

Table of Contents

Reviews

Kintz's research is revealing, even shocking. Between Jesus and the Market is of paramount importance if we are ever to understand, and not merely revile or embrace, the movements she studies. - Juliet Flower MacCannell, University of California, Irvine Kintz is one of the few scholars on the left who takes the notion of religious faith seriously: while she is not a theologian, she understands the deeply affective longing for spiritual knowledge that motivates the political awakening of men and women of the right. Avoiding the tendency to see the right as a ragtag bag of 'fanatics,' Kintz articulates the philosophic, psychic, and political consequences of 'naming' oneself as part of an activist spiritual community. - Peggy Phelan, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University Linda Kintz's clear and profound understanding of the crucial symbolic and political positions occupied by born-again women in contemporary America will enlighten public dialogue in ways that might actually, finally, move it forward. - Alice Jardine, Harvard University

Kintz's research is revealing, even shocking. Between Jesus and the Market is of paramount importance if we are ever to understand, and not merely revile or embrace, the movements she studies. - Juliet Flower MacCannell, University of California, Irvine Kintz is one of the few scholars on the left who takes the notion of religious faith seriously: while she is not a theologian, she understands the deeply affective longing for spiritual knowledge that motivates the political awakening of men and women of the right. Avoiding the tendency to see the right as a ragtag bag of 'fanatics,' Kintz articulates the philosophic, psychic, and political consequences of 'naming' oneself as part of an activist spiritual community. - Peggy Phelan, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University Linda Kintz's clear and profound understanding of the crucial symbolic and political positions occupied by born-again women in contemporary America will enlighten public dialogue in ways that might actually, finally, move it forward. - Alice Jardine, Harvard University

"""Kintz's research is revealing, even shocking. Between Jesus and the Market is of paramount importance if we are ever to understand, and not merely revile or embrace, the movements she studies."" - Juliet Flower MacCannell, University of California, Irvine ""Kintz is one of the few scholars on the left who takes the notion of religious faith seriously: while she is not a theologian, she understands the deeply affective longing for spiritual knowledge that motivates the political awakening of men and women of the right. Avoiding the tendency to see the right as a ragtag bag of 'fanatics,' Kintz articulates the philosophic, psychic, and political consequences of 'naming' oneself as part of an activist spiritual community."" - Peggy Phelan, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University ""Linda Kintz's clear and profound understanding of the crucial symbolic and political positions occupied by born-again women in contemporary America will enlighten public dialogue in ways that might actually, finally, move it forward."" - Alice Jardine, Harvard University"

A confused and overtheorized look at gender and the Christian Right. Kintz (English/Univ. of Oregon) can't seem to decide if she is writing a history of the rise of the Christian Right, a literary-critical evaluation of the movement's seminal texts, or an ethnographic encounter with female fundamentalists. This book tries to be all of those things, and a feminist manifesto besides. But it is so overladen with the postmodern theoretical jargon of semiotics, utilitarianism, and subjectivity that the meaning gets lost. Also, Kintz's use of Christian texts is disappointingly impressionistic; she never explains why she chose a particular work out of the vast array of options in any Christian bookstore. That said, there are some intriguing points made here, and in her postmodern way Kintz is not afraid to insert herself into her work and acknowledge her own biases. The first few chapters examine the Christian Right's reconstructions of motherhood as a sacred calling and of sexual differences as essential and divinely ordained. But the best writing here explores the ironies of today's Christian right: specifically, that the movement depends on women activists who preach their own subordination while lecturing around the country and hosting power lunches. She also understands the crucial importance of emotions to the movement. The Christian men's movement owes its current success, she points out, to its willingness to allow men to have feelings, even if they are restricted to tender warrior feelings. Though there are some valuable arguments here, the reader has to wade through far too much theoretical babble to find them. (Kirkus Reviews)

Kintz is one of the few scholars on the left who takes the notion of religious faith seriously: while she is not a theologian, she understands the deeply affective longing for spiritual knowledge that motivates the political awakening of men and women of the right. Avoiding the tendency to see the right as a ragtag bag of 'fanatics,' Kintz articulates the philosophic, psychic, and political consequences of 'naming' oneself as part of an activist spiritual community. -Peggy Phelan, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University Kintz's research is revealing, even shocking. Between Jesus and the Market is of paramount importance if we are ever to understand, and not merely revile or embrace, the movements she studies. -Juliet Flower MacCannell, University of California, Irvine Linda Kintz's clear and profound understanding of the crucial symbolic and political positions occupied by born-again women in contemporary America will enlighten public dialogue in ways that might actually, finally, move it forward. -Alice Jardine, Harvard University

Author Information

Linda Kintz is Professor of English at the University of Oregon.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available