Why does American Fundamentalism continue to dominate the political landscape even though the power base has shifted in Washington DC to the Democratic party? How has the election of President Barack Obama informed the rise of a progressive movement and the subsequent Republican backlash? Are events such as the C Street Scandals, the passage of Stupak-Pitts Amendment, and teabagger rallies isolated events or part of a larger picture? What factors contribute to the appeal of movements united around a common ideology albeit “religious right” and “progressive?” A diverse group of panelists assess the current faith factors shaping the socio-political landscape in advance of the 2010 midterm elections and note the trends and authors they are observing moving forward.

This session was moderated by Lynn Garrett, Principal, Lynn Garrett Associates. She was joined by Becky Garrison, author, Jesus Died For This?: A Satirist’s Searches for the Risen Christ; and Stephen Prothero, author, God is Not One: The Rival Religions that Run the World.