Publisher, Simon & Schuster Audioworks (1996)

Where did the Christian right come from?

In Active Faith, Ralph Reed articulates a new "theology" of political activism for devout Christians, and calls upon all Americans—both religious and secular—to heal our ailing body politic. Reed, the Executive Director of the 2 million-member Christian Coalition, is responsible for wedding high technology with cutting edge political organization to transform the Christian right from a marginal, often coarse protest movement to the most effective and efficient political machine in American history.

With a historian's practiced eye, Reed recounts the long tale of religious involvement to show that despite the popular belief, orthodox Christians and religious rhetoric have been the driving force behind nearly every major social reform movement in American history. Reed gives a detailed account of how the Christian Coalition has prospered despite mainstream ridicule and suspicion, electoral setbacks, and the handicap of its own—and at times, violent—radical fringe.

A declaration of political maturity for Christian conservatives, and a manifesto of their goals within the democratic process, Active Faith is required listening to understand what Christian conservatives want, and how far they are willing to go to obtain it.

A thought-provoking study by a leader of the Christian Right discusses the rise of American conservatism, the role of the Christian Right, and its agenda for transforming the nation.