It's tough to talk about religion without discussing politics... For my generation, the two subjects are kind of "joined at the hip." You had Christian church on Wednesdays and Sundays, and republican church every night of the week thanks to good ol' Fox News. In fact, I'll bet I've logged almost as many hours listening to the likes of Shawn Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly as I have listening to pastors. As a kid, I attended Right to Life demonstrations, handed out yard signs for republican candidates, and there's even a picture of me unknowingly holding a Bush/Cheney sign at a trainside rally in the bustling metropolis of Durand, MI (home of Uncle Buck's Northern Exposure, a strip club with a bare butt beaver on the sign). How's that for a resume builder?

Our guest today is journalist Katherine Stewart, author of the books "The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children," and "The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism." Katherine's most recent book is the culmination of over ten years of research, and it catalogs the efforts of powerful evangelical and political leaders to organize and mobilize the Christian community. The Washington Post called it "required reading for anyone who wants to map the continuing erosion of our already fragile wall between church and state." It's a fascinating, albeit troubling read that we can't recommend enough!

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