American Evangelicals Today

May 1, 2013
Evangelicals are often viewed as being politically and socially conservative, predominantly white, and found in greater numbers in the South than elsewhere in the country. Although there is some truth to these broad claims, the real story is infinitely more complex and nuanced. Smidt has completed a seemingly exhaustive review of the scholarly literature on evangelicals, though the 2007 Pew Religious Landscape Survey serves as the foundation of his study. Its massive sample size allows for analysis of the differences between evangelicals and other faith traditions as well as differences among evangelicals themselves. Some of the findings may surprise. For example, only one-fifth of evangelicals view the Christian Right or Tea Party favorably. And while the group's views on abortion and homosexuality may upset some further toward the Left, evangelicals do not hold policy views that place them at some political extreme. Finally, they enjoy the highest participation rates in volunteer work and other civic activities. Academic yet accessible, Smidt's work is intensely data driven. Though not a page-turner, it is, nevertheless, an illuminating analysis of a much-discussed tradition.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)