friends in high places

"The group's approach to religion, Sharlet says, is based on 'a sort of trickle-down fundamentalism,' which holds that the wealthy and powerful, if they 'can get their hearts right with God ... will dispense blessings to those underneath them.'
"Members of the group ardently support free markets, in which, they believe, God's will operates directly through Adam Smith's 'invisible hand.' "

Use this filter to think about what's happened to the House, politics, in the past decade.

This sure ain't your father's religious freedom. It's ain't even Christian.
 'Family': Fundamentalism, Friends In High Places

Searching, I find it's a hard Sharlet's book in a library here:
http://www.worldcat.org/title/family-the-secret-fundamentalism-at-the-heart-of-american-power/oclc/148887452&referer=brief_results

When the book was new, I lived at the Lake down in Franklin County, so full of Virgil Goodeness. I went looking for it at local library there and they didn't list it. So I asked. Eventually found that the library system was now ordering its books through an outside company, no librarians choosing them.  Kinda crazy. Librarians in the past have been local advocates for keeping the spectrum broad and current. Wonder who chooses the books now, and how widespread this arrangement has become.

Going to pop down to the local library here and see what they do. Meanwhile...

July 1, 2009In the book The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, author Jeff Sharlet examines the power wielded by a secretive Christian group known as the Family, or the Fellowship.Founded in 1935 in opposition to FDR's New Deal, the evangelical group's views on religion and politics are so singular that some other Christian-right organizations consider them hereticalThe group also has a connection to a house in Washington, D.C., known as C Street. Owned by a foundation affiliated with the Family, C Street is officially registered as a church; in practice, it serves as a meeting place and residence for politicians like South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Nevada Sen. John Ensign and Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn...

Listen to the Story
Fresh Air from WHYY
[20 min 3 sec]
Add to Playlist
Download
Transcript