Arch Sc soc des Rel. 1981 S2/1 juillet-septembre) 69 83 Thomas GANNON THE NEW CHRISTIAN RIGHT IN AMERICA as Social and Political Force partir de diverses enquêtes et études récentes se demande quelle influence réelle la Nouvelle droite chrétienne exercée dans le domaine politique ces dernières années Il présente les quatre organisations nationales formant la Nouvelle droite chrétienne puis étudie affiliation religieuse des membres de ces organisations leurs attitudes dans les domaines politique économique et culturel Il compare ensuite ce mouvement actuel avec les revivais de his toire américaine enfin il tente évaluer influence réelle de cette Nouvelle droite chrétienne dans élection présidentielle de 1980 Pour A. influence mesurable de la Nouvelle droite chré tienne est peu importante contrairement aux affirmations de ses critiques Mais dans son conservatisme culturel plus que politique et économique accusé ce mouvement paraît indicateur un malaise profond de la population américaine vis-à-vis du plura lisme en tant que créateur incertitude morale et sociale Although neither religion nor politics admit of easy definition debate over the relations between them continues to be key question for sociology The dispute continues for several reasons Not only are the relations between politics and religion both complex and varied and often embody struggles and conflicts at several levels of social reality but the juxtaposition of kings and priests prelates and presidents religious adherents and established regimes keeps resurfacing in new shapes and forms in places like Iran Poland Russia Latin America North America and Western Europe Moreover as the sociology of religion returns to the larger concerns of sociology there has been renewed attention to politically related issues This attention has taken several directions There is an interest in the extent to which political ideologies like Marxism and nationalism can provide functional equivalents to religion Then there is complementary Marxist interest in the capacity of religion to draw off political energies or to provide an initial mobilization for emergent groups There is an overlap here with the studies of millenialist sects and new religious movements and the role of religion in conducting revolutionary or disoriented youth back toward normality Above all there is concern with the impact of the religious variable not merely as affecting voting patterns in certain types of political situations but also as creating the 69