God and George W. Bush: A Spiritual Life – The Definitive Biography of Faith and the American Presidency

by Paul Kengor

George W. Bush has brought the question of religion back into American political life in a way that it has not been for decades. From the 2000 election through the challenges America has faced in the wake of September 11, Bush's personal faith -- and his conviction about the importance of religion in our national life -- have won him lasting admiration from the right, while attracting fury and scorn from the left. Now presidential scholar Paul Kengor, the author of the acclaimed God and Ronald Reagan , reconstructs the spiritual journey that carried George W. Bush to the White House -- from the death of his sister, which helped to shape his character, to the conversion experience that changed his life. Matching detailed new research with thoughtful analysis, God and George W. Bush is the definitive look at the spiritual life of this American president.

Genres: Biography, Politics, Presidents, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Paul G. Kengor is an author and professor of political science at Grove City College and the senior director of the Institute for Faith and Freedom, a Grove City College think tank. He is a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace. Kengor has focused much of his work on Ronald Reagan, faith and the presidency, conservative politics, the Cold War, Communism, and Catholicism.

Reviews

[A Housewife · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not into politics but I have always admired President Bush as a spiritual and human being. So my sister gave me this book as a Christmas gift this year, and now I admire him more than ever. With all his accomplishments, he has remained to keep his God and his family a priority, which is what Paul Kengor captures in this account of this very down-to-earth president. (Ironically, his simplicity is what usually gives him a bad wrap, which he jokes about in this book.)

[Penny Clawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written prior to his second election, Kengor provided a well researched picture of Bush's spiritual life and motivation. It would be interesting to read its sequel.

[Misty Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of George W. Bush and I like that he is a man of faith. Also a man of faith that is honest and whom doesn't act like he is perfect. However, the book seemed as if if at times it repeated the same things over and over.

[Michael Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent spiritual biography of a president tasked with leading the United States through a tumultuous period of terror, and the faith in Christ that supported him all the way.

[Bojan Tunguz · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most salient features of George W. Bush's private and public life is his religiosity. He is the most religiously inspired president since Jimmy Carter, and the one whose religiosity has probably been more of an issue in political considerations than perhaps any president in all of US history. In light of that it would be immensely useful to get a better idea of the development and extent of Bush's faith, and this book by renowned author Paul Kengor is up to the task. Kengor is known for the detailed and meticulous research on all of his subjects, and this book is no exception. We follow Bush from his earlier experiences in Midland, Texas, with particular accent on those themes and events that pertain to his spiritual formation. The image of Bush that is often portrayed in the media is of a reckless and fairly wild youth who finds religion right after his fortieth birthday as a part of his effort to rid himself of the blight of alcoholism. However, as this book shows, religion was never too far away from his considerations, but he probably never made much of it in public until a moment of profound personal crisis forced him to reflect deeply on things that really matter in life.

Another thing that is often made into a big issue is the supposed overly religious tenor of Bush's political speeches and pronouncements. However, a closer scrutiny of the frequency of the use of religion in those situations reveals that Bush, contrary to the public opining, is no more likely to use the "God card" than other US presidents before him, and is in fact much more subdued and careful not to overplay the importance of religion in public statements. The same holds when it comes to other politicians of both parties - on an average, they are probably more likely to politicize religion than Bush is. One gets impression that it is not really religion per se that offends Bush's detractors, but rather the simplicity and sincerity of his faith. Why this should be an issue is probably better left for other discussions, and Kengor wisely eschews plunging too deeply into that subject.

The book ends with the events and issues that were relevant during the 2004 presidential campaign. This is understandable from the point of view of wanting to maximize the impact of the book, but it would have been more appropriate to write and release the book at least until after Bush's public life had ended. This would have provided us with a much more complete picture of the ways that his faith has shaped his presidency.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book that takes you through the life of George Bush and his faith in God. It stirred up a few emotions in me. I cheered him on, then I cried, then I got very upset at him. I will say there were a few times that I wanted to just grab him by his shoulders and shake him, but to understand what I mean you would have to read it.

All in all, it was very interesting to read about his life.

[Steven Yoder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent book about George W. Bush's Christian faith and how he applied it to his political decision making. It was written in 2004 and kind of suffers from events that took place after that, the terrible struggle through the Iraq War that by the end of his term seemed like a victory, until Obama took over. It was not quite as good as the same author's God and Ronald Reagan, which was an excellent book.

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though the book only covers his first term in office, it's the story you didn't hear, and will never hear, from the major media. And to all the Bush-haters out there, if you haven't read this book and integrated the information into your viewpoint, that viewpoint is inaccurate and incomplete.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful look at the development of George W. Bush's faith and how it affected him both as governor of Texas and President of the United States.