The Cold War was in many ways a religious war. Presidents Truman and Eisenhower and other American leaders believed that human rights and freedoms were endowed by God; that God had called the United States to defend liberty in the world; and that Soviet communism was especially evil because of its atheism and its enmity to religion. Along with security and economic concerns; these religious convictions also helped determine both how the United States defined the enemy and how it fought the conflict. Meanwhile; American Protestant churches failed to seize the moment. Internal differences over theology and politics; and resistance to cooperation with Catholics and Jews; hindered Protestant leaders domestically and internationally. Frustrated by these internecine disputes; Truman and Eisenhower attempted instead to construct a new civil religion. This public theology was used to mobilize domestic support for Cold War measures; to determine the strategic boundaries of containment; to appeal to people of all religious faiths around the world to unite against communism; and to undermine the authority of communist governments within their own countries.
#1099138 in Books 2002-04-08 2002-04-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .20 x 5.98l; .39 #File Name: 052100048398 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Dale HendricksWorth the price; by far; for what I was looking for.3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Concise and well writtenBy J. SchwartzA very quick read; but packed with information based on primary sources. A balanced view of Chamberlain. This is a good book for advanced high school students or college students. The study questions make this useful to someone who wants to learn about appeasement but is not studying the topic as part of a class.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Good Quick Read for WWII BuffsBy William N. OstroveI read this book as part of a class on Britain in the Second World War. It does a great job of describing arguements both in favor of and against the policy of appeasement. It is concise; to the point; and easy to understand. There are probably other books that get more in depth; and at times the description was lacking. But if you are looking for a basic introduction to the political situation in the late 1930's that led up to World War II then this is a great book.
