Frederick Clarkson

Frederick Clarkson is a Senior Research Analyst at Political Research Associates in Somerville, Massachusetts. He is the editor of Dispatches from the Religious Left: The Future of Faith and Politics in America (Ig Publishing, 2008), and Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy (Common Courage Press, 1997).

A Recent Local Controversy Reveals the Theocratic Heart of ‘Project Blitz’

Frederick Clarkson

The Christian nationalist intentions of Project Blitz have also received much attention, but a remarkable episode in Minnesota this past state legislative session may be a harbinger of a more profoundly theocratic politics on the horizon.

[Photo: Young woman standing in front of a court building with the American flag waving in the background, as she holds numerous white balloons with writing that says

The Battle for the Meaning of Religious Freedom Day

Frederick Clarkson

A proposed resolution intended to commemorate perhaps one of the most radical, liberatory, and revolutionary pieces of legislation in the history of the world misses the point. And it's not a mistake.

Ringing in a Christian Nationalist 2019 With an Even Larger Legislative Playbook

Frederick Clarkson

A Christian nationalist coalition, including the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, has published a new state legislative playbook for 2019 that's 30 percent larger, and 100 percent as committed to a nation that reflects its sectarian values.

Religious Freedom Manifesto Calls for Compromise and Civility—What’s So Wrong With That?

Frederick Clarkson

Behind earnestly worded appeals for religious freedom and respect is a pretense that the Framers of the Constitution and the First Amendment somehow intended to justify discrimination against others.

Unreleased Religious Freedom Manifesto Isn’t the Culture War Compromise It Hopes to Be

Frederick Clarkson

Given the institutional backing and the generous rhetoric, many well-intentioned people will consider signing on. But before they do, there are a few things they might consider.

Christian Pol, Attacked for Opposing ‘In God We Trust’ in School, Talks Church and State

Frederick Clarkson

I'm continually surprised that people who say they want less intrusive government are so eager to promote this intrusion into our personal lives.

Presbyterians to Propose Historic Resolution for Religious Freedom and Against LGBTQ Discrimination

Frederick Clarkson

We believe it weakens religious freedom when it is invoked in ways that deprive people of their civil and human rights to equal protection under the law, or seek to justify exclusion and discrimination.

Faith-Baiting in Minnesota and Elsewhere Follows the “Project Blitz” Playbook

Frederick Clarkson

Critics say any such display of the Ten Commandments in this way, may also violate the Oklahoma state constitution. But whatever the fate of these bills, the Christian Right and the politicians who cater to it have a long game in mind, and most seem unaware of the game itself.

“Project Blitz” Seeks to Do for Christian Nationalism What ALEC Does for Big Business

Frederick Clarkson

Launched initially in 2015, Project Blitz brings something new and dramatic to the Christian Right as it continues to mature as a political movement—especially in light of its electoral advances in state governments over the past decade.

Historian John Ragosta Discusses the Context and Inspiration for “Religious Freedom” in the U.S.

Frederick Clarkson

Historian John Ragosta details some of the strikingly similar issues over the proper place of religion and religious expression in a secular nation compromised of mostly religious individuals.

Frederick Clarkson

Search: