Under God: Religion and American Politics

by Garry Wills

In Under God, Pulitzer Prize winner and eminent political observer Garry Wills sheds light on the frequent collision between American politics and American religion.

Beginning with the 1988 presidential contest, an election that included two ministers and a senator accused of sin, award-winning author Garry Wills surveys the tapestry of American history to show the continuity of present controversies with past religious struggles, and argues that the secular standards of the Founding Fathers have been misunderstood. He shows that despite reactionary fire-breathers and fanatics, religion has often been a progressive force in American politics, and explains why the policy of a separate church and state has, ironically, made the position of the church stronger.

Marked by the extraordinary quality of observation that has defined Will’s work, Under God is a rich, original look at why religion and politics will never be separate in the United States.

Genres: Religion, Politics, History, American History, Nonfiction, Christianity, The United States Of America

450 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Garry Wills is an American author, journalist, political philosopher, and historian, specializing in American history, politics, and religion, especially the history of the Catholic Church. He won a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1993.
Wills has written over fifty books and, since 1973, has been a frequent reviewer for The New York Review of Books. He became a faculty member of the history department at Northwestern University in 1980, where he is an Emeritus Professor of History.

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garry Wills is a safe bet when he writes about U.S. history, religion or classical antiquity--all of which he is expert in addressing. This book, amounting to a series of essays about the role of religion in the USA from colonial times through 1990, is an example of the creative fusion this polymath achieves when discussing two of his areas of expertise (not to mention occasional references to biblical Greek and the patristics).

Although Catholic, Wills is ecumenical in his approach and recognizes the dominant position of Protestantism, particularly Presbyterian forms of it, in US history. Although liberal, Wills is respectful where, apparently, respect is due as, for instance, in his treatment of elements of the 'right to life' movement ('the seamless garment' element, i.e. those who consistently oppose abortion AND capital punishment and war).

In criticizing fellow Christians, including especially the fundamentalists of various stripes, Wills does it primarily on their own ground and in their own terms, biblically and theologically. His criticisms are scathing. His descriptions often amusing.

Although using the elections of 1984 and, especially, 1988 as contemporary examples of the play of religion in politics, most of this book remains relevant to contemporary controversies and concerns. As ever Wills is adept in nesting the present in the past.

[Christopher Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garry Wills is as thoughtful, articulate, and even-handed as any commentator out there, and here he offers a collection of very insightful essays on the intersection of church and state in America. The book is well worth reading alone for his treatment of (1) Roger Williams, a brilliant iconoclast (and founder of the colony of Rhode Island) who apparently founded the concept of separation of church and state, and (2) the 1925 Scopes Monkey trial. Given the enduring image of the latter in the popular consciousness, it is important to be aware that the play and movie based on that trial, "Inherit the Wind," very inaccurately depicts the actual events. Most striking for me was to learn that defense attorney Clarence Darrow and his journalist friend H.L. Mencken who covered the trial were largely attempting to advance the pernicious "Social Darwinism," particularly as articulated by Nietzsche, and that prosecuting attorney and fervent evangelical William Jennings Bryan had long expressly declined to challenge Darwin's theory of evolution even though he did not personally believe it.

The chapters on the 1988 presidential election (which shortly preceded this book's publication) can be skipped, I suppose, but at the expense of missing many enlightening connections that Wills draws with earlier developments in the church-state interface, and at the expense of missing the chance to reflect on a time when the Republican Party was not yet amoral and nihilistic.

[Herb Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is Wills examination of Religion in American politics. His main point is that religious leaders trying to influence the government is nothing new. He charts it's history to the beginning of European settlement and continues to this day. This book was published in 1990 and therefore is a little dated.{ The main focus of the book is an analysis of the 1988 election.} It came out before the latest surge of Evangelical political influence. They are no longer content to subtly guide but have developed an angry arrogance; taking the role of an oppressed community demanding supremacy clothed in the language of a struggle for their "freedom of Religion".

One part of this book I found disturbing was the chapter dealing with the Puritans first encounters with Native Americans. The Puritans equated Native religions with Devil Worship and believed fighting and killing them was battling Satan. Wills seemed to excuse their ,what we now call ethnic cleansing behavior, since they were acting on religious motives. Given the repeated horrors perpetrated throughout human history by "true believers" , this excuse doesn't hold up..

That section aside, this is a book worth reading. I have read most of Wills' books and have always learned something from them.

[Mike Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, published in 1990, is a little dated, insofar as one of its primary focuses is on the 1988 presidential election. Also, not surprisingly, given Wills' status as a university professor, the writing style is relatively academic. Despite these arguable drawbacks, it was a fabulous read. It effectively makes two points. First, that religion is deeply intertwined with American history and culture and, therefore, its politics. Second, that the founding fathers definitely wanted to erect a wall of separation between organized religion and the government. How are these concepts reconciled? Therein lies the rub...

[Greg Givan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only very occasionally interesting.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The smartest American conservative in the truest sense of that term, not the radical maniacs that rule the religious and political right-wing roost today

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

For its breadth of topics addressed, depths of intimacies breached, and array of investigative research, as well for its masterfully composed essays, written with precision, excellence and care. One need not agree to whichever proposal deposited in whichever section or chapter, only ponder therein for oneself what it means, say, for there to be no prayers or bibles in schoolrooms, or for there to be free license to pornography and ubiquitous erotica? I learned a great deal from this book. There is an air of authority by erudition, eloquence and cogency, about the scope that boldly and unabashedly endeavors to ponder and parcel the makeup of U.S.A.

[Martin Bihl · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the interest of full disclosure, i have to admit that i'm a big fan of Garry Wills. i may not always agree with him, and i may not always understand the finest points of his arguments, but i always respect his rigor, his curiousity, his search for truth, and his his integrity.

Even though this is, ostensibly, a single work on god, politics, morality and america, it really reads like thirty-odd essays on these topics, linked together by theme or argument. as such, they can be read sequentially, partially, or individually. anyway that they are read will prove edifying and enlightening - explaining aspects of american political and religious interconnectedness that have often gone unexamined, unexplained or unacknowledged.

I recommend this work to anyone interested in america, american history, american politics, american religion, american culture - or any combination of the above. but be forewarned - it's heavy treading at times and requires a reader as thoughtful and engaged as wills was when he wrote it.

[Bob Breckwoldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One nation under God? Religion has never been far from the surface of American life and politics. This book was written about the personalities and the issues of the 1988 U.S. election. Many of the personalities are no longer part of the election process. In this it is a valuable history resource. But in many ways it hasn't dated. The recognition of the influence of such figures as the pseudo intellectual guru, Francis Schaeffer; the agonising of religious politicians as they wonder how far can they stray from their peers' beliefs; and the short term pandering to special interest groups on the way to the White House. Fascinating for outsiders: the range from the bizzare to the earnest; the dangerous to the determined. Essential journalistic insight into American religion and politics.

[Jacquelyn Courtrell-Washington · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reading this because it is apropos to these dubious political times in which we find ourselves. So far it has been an good read for historical background for what we are being put through on the battlefield of religious politics. Sometimes it is like reading a book for seminary but, more interesting.

[Carolyn]

I really (REALLY) love the tone this book is written in--the perfect balance between conversational and academic.

But it's a big heavy hardback that I'm not going to carry on the bus and my class for this semester has already started, let alone teachers reporting tomorrow for work, and I just can't finish it right now.

I'll pick it up again someday though, for sure.

[Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a collection of essays on topics related to religion and American politics than a cohesive argument. Some of the essays are pretty good, others--the ones about Gary Hart and Michael Dukakis in particular--are skippable. The best of them are probably the ones about Jefferson and Madison, and the sections about Jesse Jackson and William Jennings Bryan are very good as well.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about Garry Wills when I read this. This book argues that despite the fact that we are the country with specific laws separating church and state, we are also the country with the most problems keeping them separated.

[Mark DiPietro]

Politics is Religion

[Steve Kierstead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typically insightful.

[Daniel Hawk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utterly bios, I don't think this guy knows an ounce of the topic's he purports to be an expert of.