I would suggest that American Christianity changed over these three periods in terms of what it represented publicly. About 15 years ago I was talking to a work colleague about politics. He said I know how I am supposed to vote as an anti-abortion Catholic, but Republicans are so mean.
As American Christianity became increasingly associated with the Republican party, focused on beliefs relating to sexual matters and increasingly divorced from good works, they became nastier in the image they presented to the world:
Back in the 1970's, when Evangelicals saw Jimmy Carter as one of their own, we did not have homeless people all over the place. Young folks were coming out of high school could still marry and start of life together as the wages they could earn would enable them to buy a house, afford health care or if they chose, attend college without going into debt. Four decades of Christian-enabled economic policy has given us the modern world where young working-class people are not getting married and starting families, and if they attend college are buried in debt.
It was certainly a mistake for Christianity to align itself so closely to the Republican Party and at times treat their economic policy choices as a fulfillment of biblical principles.
But the idea that Christians became "focused on beliefs relating to sexual matters and increasingly divorced from good works", is a media created frame. I think the opposite is much closer to the truth: that society moved away from Christian morals (hence the 3 world framework) because progressives were focused on these issues and had goals and agendas to pursue. Christians, by and large, were just reactive.
When Christians threw in with Republicans, they left the social policy field in the Democratic party clear for the cultural left, who have sincrbmoved the part A LOT on social issues.
Christians were able to get Republiicans to overturn Roe at the cost of a big shift to economic right. Was it worth it?
A number of the architects of the New Deal were Mormons (Eccles comes to mind). My understanding has always been that the establishment of an economy that worked for ordinary people was in part motivated by Christian views. But maybe I am wrong and Christianity as understood today is about those who are rich and successfyl (evidence if Gods favor) and not the poor.
I would suggest that American Christianity changed over these three periods in terms of what it represented publicly. About 15 years ago I was talking to a work colleague about politics. He said I know how I am supposed to vote as an anti-abortion Catholic, but Republicans are so mean.
As American Christianity became increasingly associated with the Republican party, focused on beliefs relating to sexual matters and increasingly divorced from good works, they became nastier in the image they presented to the world:
Back in the 1970's, when Evangelicals saw Jimmy Carter as one of their own, we did not have homeless people all over the place. Young folks were coming out of high school could still marry and start of life together as the wages they could earn would enable them to buy a house, afford health care or if they chose, attend college without going into debt. Four decades of Christian-enabled economic policy has given us the modern world where young working-class people are not getting married and starting families, and if they attend college are buried in debt.
https://mikealexander.substack.com/p/two-visions-of-america-bedford-falls
It was certainly a mistake for Christianity to align itself so closely to the Republican Party and at times treat their economic policy choices as a fulfillment of biblical principles.
But the idea that Christians became "focused on beliefs relating to sexual matters and increasingly divorced from good works", is a media created frame. I think the opposite is much closer to the truth: that society moved away from Christian morals (hence the 3 world framework) because progressives were focused on these issues and had goals and agendas to pursue. Christians, by and large, were just reactive.
When Christians threw in with Republicans, they left the social policy field in the Democratic party clear for the cultural left, who have sincrbmoved the part A LOT on social issues.
Christians were able to get Republiicans to overturn Roe at the cost of a big shift to economic right. Was it worth it?
A number of the architects of the New Deal were Mormons (Eccles comes to mind). My understanding has always been that the establishment of an economy that worked for ordinary people was in part motivated by Christian views. But maybe I am wrong and Christianity as understood today is about those who are rich and successfyl (evidence if Gods favor) and not the poor.