Utter, Glenn H. 1945-

PERSONAL:

Born 1945. Education: State University of New York at Binghamton, B.A., 1967; State University of New York at Buffalo, M.A. (political science), 1969, Ph.D., 1974; University of London, Bedford College, M.A. (philosophy), 1985.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Department of Political Science, Lamar University, Social and Behavioral Sciences Building 201A, 1130 Monterrey Dr., Box 10030, Beaumont, TX 77706-4135 E-mail—[email protected]; [email protected].

CAREER:

Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, instructor, 1969-74, assistant professor, 1974-77, associate professor, 1977-88, professor of political science, 1988—, chair of department, 1992—.

MEMBER:

American Culture Association, American Political Science Association, Aristotelian Society (London, England), Southern Political Science Association, Southwestern Political Science Association.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, GTE Foundation, and other organizations.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

(With Charles Lockhart) American Political Scientists: A Dictionary, Greenwood Press (Westport, CT), 1993, 2nd edition, 2002.

(With John W. Storey) The Religious Right: A Reference Handbook, ABC-Clio (Santa Barbara, CA), 1995, 2nd edition, 2001, 3rd edition, Grey House Publishing (Millerton, NY), 2007.

Campaign and Election Reform: A Reference Handbook, ABC-Clio (Santa Barbara, CA), 1997, 2nd edition, with Ruth Ann Strickland, 2008.

Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights, Oryx Press (Phoenix, AZ), 2000.

(With John W. Storey) Religion and Politics: A Reference Handbook, ABC-Clio (Santa Barbara, CA), 2002.

(With James L. True) Conservative Christians and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook, ABC-Clio (Santa Barbara, CA), 2004.

Mainline Christians and U.S. Public Policy: A Reference Handbook, ABC-Clio (Santa Barbara, CA), 2007.

Contributor to books, including Social Issues in America, edited by James Ciment, M.E. Sharpe (Armonk, NY), 2006. Contributor to periodicals, including Bridges, American Review of Public Administration, and Texas Journal of Political Studies.

SIDELIGHTS:

Political scientist Glenn H. Utter is the author of numerous reference works, including several on the intersection between religion and politics. Religion and Politics: A Reference Handbook, Conservative Christians and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook (written with James L. True), and Mainline Christians and U.S. Public Policy: A Reference Handbook are among these. They are all part of the "Contemporary World Issues" series published by ABC-Clio, targeted to student researchers at both the high-school and college levels.

Conflict between religion and politics can be "volatile," as a Booklist reviewer noted, but in The Religious Right: A Reference Handbook, Utter and coauthor Storey have made an unbiased presentation of the issues involved with those identifying themselves as religious conservatives. The term "Religious Right" takes in a large and diverse group, one that includes various subgroups of Protestants, Jews, and Catholics. The authors clearly outline in their preface the terminology used in the book and the logic they followed when deciding which groups and individuals to include and exclude from their listings. The format used to present information varies from one chapter to the next, but charts, survey results, and quotations help to illustrate the material throughout. The history of the religious right is outlined, its leaders are profiled, and a directory of major organizations is given. Major public events and policy decisions that have involved the religious right—including prohibition, various scandals, and court decisions on school prayer and abortion—are discussed. "Patrons of high-school, academic, and public libraries will find this an invaluable source," said a Booklist reviewer. The book has been enough in demand to go into updated editions, needed as issues like same-sex marriage become more prominent in the political arena. Assessing the third edition of The Religious Right for Library Journal, Dann Wigner found a few flaws but stated that for the most part, the authors "masterfully articulate the motivation of this complex political entity" and provide valuable references to other material for those who wish to pursue the subject further. In another book, Conservative Christians and Political Participation, Utter and coauthor James L. True looked at the motivations for and effects of political engagement by conservative Christians.

Utter and Storey took a somewhat broader view in their book Religion and Politics. This work explores the interplay between religion and politics by looking at three different scenarios: the United States, where church and state are separated; Iran, where the state is dominated by religion; and China, where religion is strictly controlled by the state. Eva Lautemann, a reviewer for the Reference & User Services Quarterly, felt that this book's exclusive focus on China, Iran, and the United States was a shortcoming. She found that "the introductory essay is the strongest section of the work, with a solid overview" of the history and current situation in the countries that are discussed. Ann G. Brouse, reviewing for School Library Journal, found Religion and Politics "a substantive resource for understanding the complex issues behind today's headlines."

Utter provided a valuable reference on another important issue with his 2000 publication, Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights. "Few issues arouse such passion, such fervor, and such idiotic failures of logic and intellectual consistency as the debate over gun regulation," noted Michael Bellesiles in Humanities and Social Sciences Online. Utter's book, said Bellesiles, is "a judicious and useful guide to the current controversy." Detailed information is provided about both sides of the gun control debate, organizations and individuals involved in it, and stories of recent high-profile gun attacks. Photographs and charts help to illustrate the entries, and listings for additional resources are plentiful. There is a table of gun-control laws by state, and state versions of the Second Amendment are included. Bellesiles expressed the opinion that Utter's book would have been even more valuable if it had included more analysis of historical events but stated that Utter "leaves it to the reader to draw any conclusions." Yet he noted that at other times, "Professor Utter gives keen insight to the reality of gun legislation in America" and concludes that "it accomplishes its stated purpose with great efficiency." Harry Charles, reviewing Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights for Library Journal, said that while the lack of a historical overview makes the book unsuitable as an introductory text, the work will still prove useful "for those seeking a reference work in the debate on firearms regulation."

Utter provided information on his fellow political scientists in a book edited with Charles Lockhatt, American Political Scientists: A Dictionary. Entries include information on the main themes and theories espoused by the individual being discussed, public service works associated with the person, and sustained research carried out by them. A Booklist reviewer stated that American Political Scientists is "a reliable and comprehensive overview of political scientists of record."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 1993, review of American Political Scientists: A Dictionary, p. 465; March 15, 1996, review of The Religious Right: A Reference Handbook, p. 1316; February 15, 1998, Mary Ellen Quinn, review of Campaign and Election Reform: A Reference Handbook, p. 1032; October 15, 2001, review of The Religious Right, 2nd edition, p. 434; March 15, 2003, review of American Political Scientists, p. 1344.

Book Report, September-October, 1996, Edna M. Boardman, review of The Religious Right, p. 60.

Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, November, 1994, D.W. Heron, review of American Political Scientists, p. 421; May, 1996, N.L. Powell, review of The Religious Right, p. 1459; September, 2000, J. Gelfind, review of Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights, p. 109; March, 2003, D.A. Lincove, review of American Political Scientists, p. 1164; May, 2005, G. Holloway, review of Conservative Christians and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook, p. 1571.

Library Journal, March 1, 2000, Harry Charles, review of Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights, p. 78; September 1, 2001, review of The Religious Right, 2nd edition, p. 188; September 1, 2001, Steve Young, review of The Religious Right, p. 188; June 1, 2002, Naomi Hafter, review of Religion and Politics: A Reference Handbook, p. 134; June 1, 2007, Dann Wigner, review of The Religious Right, p. 158.

Reference & Research Book News, November, 1994, review of American Political Scientists, p. 30; May, 1996, review of The Religious Right, p. 4; May, 1998, review of Campaign and Election Reform, p. 115; February, 2000, review of Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights, p. 124; February, 2002, review of The Religious Right, 2nd edition, p. 15; February, 2003, review of American Political Scientists, 2nd edition, p. 143; August, 2005, review of Conservative Christians and Political Participation, p. 19; August, 2007, review of The Religious Right, 3rd edition.

Reference & User Services Quarterly, fall, 2002, Eva Lautemann, review of Religion and Politics, p. 85.

Reference Reviews, April, 2005, review of Conservative Christians and Political Participation.

School Library Journal, August, 1996, Doris A. Fong, review of The Religious Right, p. 183; August, 2002, Ann G. Brouse, review of Religion and Politics, p. 143.

Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 1996, review of The Religious Right, p. 190; December, 2000, review of Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights, p. 374.

ONLINE

Humanities and Social Sciences Online,http://www.hnet.org/ (January 27, 2008), Michael Bellesiles, review of Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights.

Lamar University Department of Political Science Web site,http://dept.lamar.edu/polisci/ (January 27, 2008), biographical information about Glenn H. Utter.