U.S. Religious Interest Groups

This encyclopedia is a unique and invaluable reference for students, academicians, organization personnel, journalists, activists, and lay leaders who want easy-to-access analytical information about 118 U.S. religious organizations today with data about past traditions and religious activism through the years on American public policy formation.

This unique encyclopedia describes how a wide range of religious groups from an even wider spectrum of religious denominations has acted vigorously to influence public policy since the beginning of the republic.

This unique encyclopedia describes how a wide range of religious groups from an even wider spectrum of religious denominations has acted vigorously to influence public policy since the beginning of the republic. This advocacy by religious interests continues in the 1990s even more dramatically and professionally than in previous decades. This one-volume reference provides a historical sketch of religious activism through the years and then profiles 118 major organizations, describing their origins and development, organization and funding, program strategies, political activities, and publications. The encyclopedia is filled with practical directory-type information also. Appendices classify the groups by religious traditions, size, membership type of group, and policy interests. A full index makes the volume easily accessible to serve broad interdisciplinary audiences of students, teachers, experts, organization activists, and lay readers.