God and Gaming: Community Conflict Over a Proposed Indian Casino in Michigan.

This paper examines community conflict over a proposal by the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomie Indians to build a $100 million casino in a rural, culturally conservative county in southwestern Michigan. Conflict over the casino escalated in both scope and intensity over time until it involved local, state, and national governments. The paper examines the roles of various interests and actors in the conflict, focusing in particular on the activities of clergy and churches. Both ‘economic’ and ‘morality’ politics perspectives prove useful in helping us understand the complex dynamics of the casino struggle. The paper provides useful insights concerning (1) the role of people of faith in community conflict (2) the escalation of community conflict and (3) the impact of federalism on community conflict. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research related to the role of religious interests in community conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]