One Nation Under God

How Corporate America Invented Christian America

By: Kevin M. Kruse

Narrated by: Jeff Cummings

Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Conventional wisdom holds that America has been a Christian nation since the Founding Fathers. But in One Nation Under God, historian Kevin M. Kruse argues that the idea of "Christian America" is nothing more than a myth - and a relatively recent one at that.

The assumption that America was, is, and always will be a Christian nation dates back no further than the 1930s, when a coalition of businessmen and religious leaders united in opposition to FDR's New Deal. With the full support of Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s, these activists - the forerunners of the Religious Right - propelled religion into the public sphere. Church membership skyrocketed; Congress added the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance and made "In God We Trust" the country's official motto. For the first time, America became a thoroughly religious nation.

Provocative and authoritative, One Nation Under God reveals how the comingling of money, religion, and politics created a false origin story that continues to define and divide American politics today.

©2015 Kevin M. Kruse (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Excellent

Fascinating book well worth reading.

As a practicing Christian and a republican I have a long wondered how the party of limited government became the party of big government when it comes to religion. This book is the story of how this occurred.

The book is well written and far from being the cure for insomnia. The narrator is also excellent with his intonation and impersonations.

For further background I would suggest God of Liberty: by Thomas S Kidd. This book fills in the historical gaps and is also excellent.

Myth bisting on a grand scale.

This is a book that tells the m history of how corporate leaders agenda false ministers created the myth that America is a Christian nation as a scheme to undercut Roosevelt's reforms. Very frustrating. How stupid congress can be when they smell a few votes. Also thinking about the slimy relationship between Nixon and Billy Graham. It makes me very sad and explains a lot today.

Capitalism partners with the church

everyone needs too understand the history behind the myth of America as a Christian nation.

Accurate, but not as surprising as described

Maybe 20% new and interesting material and 80% standard history. Also, the narrator is worst I've heard on a professional audiobook. His inflections are hyperbolic like he's reading to a kindergarten.

Unconvinced

Interesting account on the rise of libertarian right wing Christianity in the middle of the twentieth century. However, the main thesis is flawed. There have been many breaches in the wall of separation between church and state from the beginning of the republic. Unconvinced.

Essential (and enjoyable!) listening

Compelling narrative, impeccably narrated. If you're at all concerned about or interested in the role of religion in America, you'll come away better for having engaged with this history - and that's true regardless of which political camp you identify with.

Required reading

Dr. Kruse shows the roots of American Civil religion and the importance of that information. As a theologian, I feel that this history should be known by every American who believes in the paramount importance of the first amendment as we face a rise in right wing Christian nationalism.

A Real Eye-Opener

As a US citizen who was born and raised in secular western Europe, I'd always wondered how a country with an explicitly godless constitution became so mired in religion.

For years, I accepted the shorthand most do that the references to god in the pledge and the national motto came in the red state of the cold war around the mid 1950s.

This book documents the real origins of the movement as a reaction of a business class anxious to roll back the new deal. It details their purchase of religious favor from church leaders to selectively align Christianity with libertarian and capitalist principals, and ignore the social elements of Christianity.

The book answered so many of my questions about the rather strange rendition of Christianity in the US and why it so often comes glued to the side of overt displays of patriotism and reactionary politics.

The best book of its genre.

A detailed explanation of how the rightwing of the Republican party manipulated and coopted fundamentalist and evangelical Christians to the advantage of party political goals at the price of destroying Constitutional Separation of Church and State. Contains names dates and the colluding and plotting that ultimately destroyed the reputation of the Republican party and the deluded Christians who bought into the Hoax. The best one book education out of political and religious ignorance you can buy.

Let Down by Reader

Off the bat the biggest issue is that the person reading this has an annoying affect. To stay on theme with the book I would describe his performance as "aging and nebbish youth pastor". I disliked his enthusiasm, his inability to read a quote with any emotion other than excited, and the fact that I was constantly noticing his ticks as a performer.

The subject matter I would describe as "important but depressing". I dislike the rise of ultra-capitalist patriarchal white nationalism in the United States and I dislike how it has cloaked itself in the guise of performative idolatrous "Christianity". This book does a good job showing how that all happened.

The only issue I have with the writing itself is that the chapters are all way too long 90 minutes and I typically want a 15-30 minute chapter to listen to while walking my dog, I dislike having to stop only part way thru a chapter and I certainly do not have the patience to listen to Jeff Cummings bad performance for longer than that at a time. I would have preferred more compartmentalization of the material into more digestible chunks.