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Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Ronald Reagan is hailed today for a presidency that restored optimism to America, engendered years of economic prosperity, and helped bring about the fall of the Soviet Union. Yet until now little attention has been paid to the role Reagan's personal spirituality played in his political career, shaping his ideas, bolstering his resolve, and ultimately compelling him to confront the brutal -- and, not coincidentally, atheistic -- Soviet empire. In this groundbreaking book, political historian Paul Kengor draws upon Reagan's legacy of speeches and correspondence, and the memories of those who knew him well, to reveal a man whose Christian faith remained deep and consistent throughout his more than six decades in public life. Raised in the Disciples of Christ Church by a devout mother with a passionate missionary streak, Reagan embraced the church after reading a Christian novel at the age of eleven. A devoted Sunday-school teacher, he absorbed the church's model of "practical Christianity" and strived to achieve it in every stage of his life. But it was in his lifelong battle against communism -- first in Hollywood, then on the political stage -- that Reagan's Christian beliefs had their most profound effect. Appalled by the religious repression and state-mandated atheism of Bolshevik Marxism, Reagan felt called by a sense of personal mission to confront the USSR. Inspired by influences as diverse as C.S. Lewis, Whittaker Chambers, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, he waged an openly spiritual campaign against communism, insisting that religious freedom was the bedrock of personal liberty. "The source of our strength in the quest for human freedom is not material, but spiritual," he said in his Evil Empire address. "And because it knows no limitation, it must terrify and ultimately triumph over those who would enslave their fellow man." From a church classroom in 1920s Dixon, Illinois, to his triumphant mission to Moscow in 1988, Ronald Reagan was both political leader and spiritual crusader. God and Ronald Reagan deepens immeasurably our understanding of how these twin missions shaped his presidency -- and changed the world.
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| Buy it or borrow it, but definately read it. |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I have just finished reading _God and Ronald Reagan_ by Paul Kengor, and recommend it more than I can say. This book really was an education. For the Publisher's Weekly to dub it as "more devotional than scholarly" is entirely inaccurate. The book reads easily and as the title says it's whole premise is the spiritual life of Ronald Reagan, but this is above all a scholarly work. If you want to read an accurate biography of Ronald Reagan that doesn't gloss over arguably the most driving influence in his life, don't miss this book. What does Publisher's Weekly think is a scholarly study I should like to know. Much of the book is gleaned from the writings and handwritten or hand editted speeches of Reagan himself. It also draws heavily from personal interviews with those closest to him. Devotional studies are rarely footnoted to any large degree, yet _God and Ronald Reagan_ is meticulously referenced and contains numerous pages of largely annotated footnotes. The Publisher's Weekly editorial is flawed, in my opinion, on so many counts that were I to elaborate any further this would become a review of their review instead of a whole-hearted praise of this book. It is reading for all Americans (yes, you Canadians and friends south of the border too though I did mean USA folks). If you are proud to be an American, read it. If you wish you could be proud to be an American, read it. If you think America is too proud and imperialstic, read it. You might be surprised by what Reagan really thought and lived that you were never told.
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| Great Look At Ronald Reagan's Spiritual Life |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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"God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life" by Paul Kengor is a well-researched and documented title on the faith of President Ronald Reagan. Despite your political convictions, Reagan appeared to be a true Christian despite the flaws he may have had.
The book covers mainly:
1. Reagan's spiritual upbringing (particulary influenced by the positive example of his mother).
2. His Christian worldview and how he incorporated that worldview into his speeches.
3. Desire to overthrow the "Evil Empire" (Soviet Union) and how he desired religious freedom for all peoples, regardless of their spiritual beliefs.
4. Religious background of his advisors and stafff.
5. Reactions, positive and negative, to his speeches and actions as president.
A highly readable book, the title flows freely and the author, while appearing to be a Reagan supporter, does not candycoat his subject.
Read and enjoy, highly recommended!
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| Religion and History |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This is an excellent book outlining the spiritual life of Ronald Reagan. A subject not generally covered by the secular media. This is also a book about his contribution to the fall of the Berlin wall and the Soviet Union. A must read for history buffs who want to know "the rest of the story".
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| Faith led him |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Ever wonder what shaped and made President Reagan such an optimistic, influential leader; here it is. Paul Kengor, in his 2004 biography of the former president, explains how Reagan's Mother Nelle, brought him up in the Christian faith; which led him to convert to it at a young age, and how his faith helped shape his Presidency and policies.
Reagan grew up in Dixon Illinois, graduated from Eureka College, became an actor who stared in 53 movies, governor of California, and later, #1 in the oval office.
It also includes background to Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech, his assassination, and meetings with Pope John Paul II, Mother Theresa, and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev
This Book Rocks! It will give you a load of insight into his life. His optimism will rub off on you.
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| An excellent read. |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This book is well-researched, and Dr. Kengor gives us great insight into the faith of Ronald Wilson Reagan and the role that his faith had in his public life. Kengor uses many of Reagan's speeches and writings as well as the memories of those who knew the Gipper well to reveal a man whose faith in Jesus Christ remained deep and consistent through more than 60 years of public life, both in Hollywood and in the political arena. Obviously, Reagan's faith had its greatest influence on his lifelong battle against Communism, beginning in Hollywood and continuing throughout his entire political life. During his "Evil Empire" speech, Reagan said "The source of our strength in the quest for human freedom is not material, but spiritual...And because it knows no limitation, it must terrify and ultimately triumph over those who would enslave their fellow man." The President once spoke before a group of evangelical Christians and stated that the Cold War would be won not with bullets, bombs or missiles, but through our nation's great faith in God. By the end of the 1980's, that faith had prevailed and the great Soviet threat had been all but defeated. Following Reagan from his early childhood to his triumphant mission to Moscow, Kengor illustrates how Ronald Reagan, as both a spiritual leader and as a political leader changed the world, and changed the course of America, for the better.
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