There's a real difference between "America was founded by Christians" and "America is a Christian country," and it's a source of constant debate.
The distinction is important, because one phrase is historical and passive, and the other is political and active. Very active, as Katherine Stewart points out in her book The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism.
Stewart, who has long written on religion and public policy, examines the vast network of religous and other groups working to exert political power in America today, and finds some concerning trends. This is not news to a lot of people, but the extent to which religious nationalism skews to anti-democratic views might raise a few eyebrows.
The author joins us for an overview.