Written by David Kuo (Free Press, 2006). Kuo, who served as George W. Bush’s deputy director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, discusses his path of disillusionment as he tried to blend faith and politics in the Bush White House.

Jan. 20, 2012, Seattle Post Intelligencer article about myriad accusations of hypocrisy leveled against then-candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination Newt Gingrich over his touting of family values while failing to live by similar standards in his personal life.

Nov. 3, 2006, The Washington Post article about how a slew of scandals by prominent conservative Republicans led some to view the Republican Party as a party of hypocrisy and the possible political consequences.

Sept. 14, 2011, First Things column by Joe Carter where he dismisses the idea of an oppressive American theocracy ever materializing

August 28, 2011, The New York Times op-ed by Ross Douthat where he provides journalists pointers on how to approach writing about religion and politics.

Written by Michelle Goldberg (W.W. Norton, 2006). Goldberg investigates the increasing religious radicalism that led to the re-election of George W. Bush in 2004.

Written by Rabbi James Rudin (Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2006). Rudin looks at what he believes is a systematic campaign by Christian fundamentalists to co-opt and take over every facet of American society.

Written by Kevin Phillips (Viking, 2005). Phillips offers a harsh critique of the Republican coalition of the past 40 years held together by American oil interests, the emergence of social conservatives, Evangelicals, and Pentecostals and the American reliance on debt.

Joel A. Carpenter is a professor of history at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he also directs the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity. He also is the former religion officer for the Pew Charitable Trusts and former director of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicalism.