Ruth Braunstein is the author of Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide (University of California Press, 2017). Braunstein is assistant professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut. There are many reasons to think of the political Right and Left as so deeply polarized that there have almost nothing in common. Civil society organizations pursuing opposite policy aims, however, may share much in common. Braunstein’s book tracks two such organizations which share little in terms of policy agenda, but a lot when it comes to strategy and identity. Both groups believe strongly in democracy, religion, and holding government accountable to the people. This populist streak brings the approach taken to politics together across the two groups. Prophets and Patriots contributes to what we know about how social movement and civil society organizations see the world and the considerable overlap between groups of very different political orientations.

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