Changing fortunes: An analysis of Christian Right ascendance within American political discourse

The status of the Christian Right is usually evaluated by an examination of their successes in the legislative realm, the fate of particular Christian Right groups, and the limiting effects of cultural pluralism on religious exclusivism. These analyses usually conclude that the success of the Christ ian Right is limited Despite predictions and arguments to the contrary, the activist Christian Right, whose various groups are now generally summarize d as the New Christian Right (NCR), have continued to achieve greater promi nence in American political discourse. Factors such as the willingness of s ome Christian Right groups to accentuate the secular aspects of their agend a, and the embrace of NCR groups by secular political leaders, are evidence of the rising fortunes of the Christian Right. Also, the "culture war" rhe toric employed by the Christian Right has been highly effective in the appr opriation of valued rhetorical symbols in American public discourse. Finall y, the authors explore the conditions of a postmodern cultural and intellec tual climate of pluralism and relativism which provides fellow ground for t he tolerance of even the most extreme of "culture war" rhetoric. The author s conclude that the status of the Christian Right is best assessed through consideration of evolving social forces with which the Christian Right may find affinity, and from which the Christian Right may benefit.