Faith and Politics

One of my co-workers, David Domke, has written, what was to me, a fascinating book on religion and the presidency. And on Sunday, the NY Times magazine published an essay which echos David's themes, although on a scale that is more laser-like in its use of anecdotes and quotes from Washington insiders. An example, from Republican strategist Bruce Bartlett, a domestic policy adviser to Ronald Reagan:

"He [President Bush] truly believes he's on a mission from God. Absolute faith like that overwhelms a need for analysis. The whole thing about faith is to believe things for which there is no empirical evidence."

God Willing?, Political Fundamentalism in the White House, The War on Terror and An Echoing Press reflects David's life as a journalist before his entry into academia -- it's well-researched, well-written. Accessible and academic - quite a feat. Read an excerpt in Counterpunch.

Both are must-reads. NYT requires registration. There's a thread on the discussion Forum (registration required to post but not to read).