For God's Sake

The Christian Right and US Foreign Policy

Religious fundamentalism is a powerful force not only in American domestic politics but also in the way America acts abroad. In For God’s Sake Lee Marsden investigates the way that the Christian Right have influenced US foreign policy, arguing that this influence will continue to fuel hostility against the country for many years to come. Marsden looks at how the Religious Right have exerted pressure on America’s powerful elite through campaign contributions, lobbying and policy-making, and are training a new generation of leaders to extend this influence into the future. Through the mass media, the Christian Right also help to spread American soft power abroad. For God’s Sake considers the negative impact which this influence is having on the environment, democracy and human rights, and considers how it has manifested itself in US policy towards Israel, Iraq and Iran. Finally, the book examines what the future might hold for the Christian Right’s political fortunes in the changing climate of contemporary America.