Book #69 of 2019:

One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America by Kevin M. Kruse

An interesting and meticulously-researched book from Princeton historian Kevin M. Kruse, examining the rise of America’s religious right over the course of the twentieth century. The basic thesis here is twofold: that only in its relatively recent past has the United States been seen as a fundamentally Christian nation, and that this impression stems largely from a calculated campaign by industry leaders chafing under the New Deal. Kruse documents how, in response to the “Social Gospel” that argued for progressive government policies on biblical grounds of helping the needy, Depression-era corporations began pushing an alternate reading of the New Testament that emphasized individual morality over state intervention and in the process would cut regulations and boost their own profits.

The author traces how this libertarian strain came to dominate public interpretations of Christianity over the following decades, becoming ever more entwined with conservative politics along the way. Under Eisenhower and his successors in the White House, lobbying for issues like the introduction of the Pledge of Allegiance, Supreme Court battles over school prayer, and the addition of the motto “In God We Trust” to the currency helped radically redefine how Americans viewed their country, their religion, and the relationship between the two.

Despite its provocative title, the text is educational and fairly non-controversial in its claims, which seem thoroughly well-sourced. Its internal organization could have been better — the professor doubles back on his chronology at several points, and his account regularly assumes a base familiarity with American history that could confuse certain readers — but it’s an eye-opening look at a dynamic that most of us take for granted in the partisan landscape of our times.

★★★☆☆

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