The Oracle: A Different Breed of Cat
Just How Unique is the Christian Right?
Lynn D. Robinson
April 1, 1997
The 1996 Republican National Convention Last August left its mark on American politics. While visiting my wife's parents, I basked in the ostentatious displays of partisan politics among politicians and party
activists. At a Christian Coalition rally, I found myself among an interesting group of people. These folks were not the uneducated and unwashed bumpkins described in media accounts. Casually well-dressed and well-heeled, they were typically a forty-something couple with 2.5 kids, waiting to hear from Ralph Reed, Pat Robertson, and Newt Gingrich. So why are the reputed characteristics of the Christian right so different from what I observed at the rally? Conventional descriptions of the Christian right include such modifiers as poor, uneducated, and easily manipulated. These exact words used by a writer for the Washington Post attribute characteristics that are
now lodged in the minds of most Americans, especially those who are least religious. While we may expect politicians and activists to vilify opponents with such labels, we rely on the media to provide accurate descriptions of people and events. The stereotype of the Christian right activist conjures an image of an ignorant Bible-thumper, but a radically different image and set of attributes better describe one of these religiously motivated activists. James Davison Hunter, a sociologist widely known for his book Culture Wars, reports
that religious conservatives are "disproportionately well-educated, well-paid, and from the professional classes." Before presenting the findings of Hunter's work, a brief discussion of categories may prove helpful. The terms fundamentalist, evangelical, and Christian right are often used synonymously, but these are separate and distinguishable ...
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