Faith and War
David E. Settje
Throughout American history, Christianity has shaped public opinion, guided leaders in their decision making, and stood at the center of countless issues. To gain complete knowledge of an era, historians must investigate the religious context of what transpired, why it happened, and how. Yet too little is known about American Christianity’s foreign policy opinions during the Cold and Vietnam Wars. To gain a deeper understanding of this period (1964-75), David E. Settje explores the diversity of American Christian responses to the Cold and Vietnam Wars to determine how Americans engaged in debates about foreign policy based on their theological convictions.
Settje uncovers how specific Christian theologies and histories influenced American religious responses to international affairs, which varied considerably. Scrutinizing such sources as the evangelical Christianity Today, the mainline Protestant ,Christian Century, a sampling of Catholic periodicals, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the United Church of Christ, Faith and War explores these entities' commingling of religion, politics, and foreign policy, illuminating the roles that Christianity attempted to play in both reflecting and shaping American foreign policy opinions during a decade in which global matters affected Americans daily and profoundly.
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About David E. Settje
Reviews for Faith and War
Jon Pahl,author of Empire of Sacrifice: The Religious Origins of American Violence "Settje has conducted an extensive amount of archival and periodical research, and uncovered much texture and diversity in American Christianity's foreign-policy positions during the tumultuous decades of the 1960s and 1970s."-Journal of American Studies "Enhanced with a wealth of footnotes, an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, Faith and War is strongly recommended for community and academic library 20th Century American History collections in general."-Midwest Book Review "Although much has been written on Christianity and the state or its relationship with politics, little has been produced on its relations to US foreign policy. This work...stands out for its meticulous use of sources in fields previously untapped...Not only a source of well-researched material, this book is also a model of how such research should be brought to the wider public."-Religious Studies Review "Settje's analysis is noteworthy for three reasons. First, while he sensibly identifies divisions between conservative and liberal American Christians he realises that such categories are imperfect. There was in-fighting across the religious board and when it came to adjudicating the Vietnam War, some members of some churches bucked the prevailing interpretative trend... this magnificent book leaves us in no doubt that there was some significant shaping going on."-Jonathan Wright,Catholic Herald "Settje's groundbreaking investigation of the United Church of Christ and the African Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as insightful analysis of Southern Baptist arguments, expands our understanding of denominational and lay perspectives immeasurably. It's an intellectual religious history that elucidates the mindsets behind the mantras."
Jill Gill,Boise State University