Revealing what lies behind much contemporary political rhetoric, Morgan Marietta shows that the language of America's most prominent leaders often relies on deep, even sacred, ideals. Comprehensively and in great detail surveying the rhetorical inventions employed in influential social movements and into the highest levels of government, The Politics of Sacred Rhetoric systematically analyzes the use of absolutist claims--and appeals to what a speaker deems to be universal truths--as essential elements of persuasion in the American political landscape. In exploring the sometimes subtle ways in which politicians employ this ""sacred rhetoric,"" Marietta engagingly demonstrates its impact on citizens' reasoning, public discourse, and the very nature of American democracy.