The Political Theologies of Populism

In this book, Bossen argues that American populist movements, even explicitly secular ones, have long drawn on religious ideas and practices to infuse their politics and bring people together. He analyzes three well-known populist organizations from the early twentieth century: the Universal Negro Improvement Association, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Industrial Workers of the World. Across these vastly different organizations, political theologies--the way that religious ideas and practices are incorporated into politics--have been central to the people-making work of politics. Considering both historical and contemporary evidence, Bossen argues that this analysis can help us understand the alarming white supremacist populism on the rise today.