God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life

by Paul Kengor

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060571411
• ISBN13: 9780060571412
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 402 Pages
• Weight: 1.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Well done

I fear that in this part of the world some of us are too quick to condemn Ronald Reagan as a religious zealot, if not an utter crackpot, but this is exactly what we must not do - America's very history demonstrates that it is not impossible to be a good Christian and a good President, and any analysis of Reagan's character is fundamentally incomplete if it ignores his faith.Paul Kengor does just that - he examines the impact that of Reagan's faith on Reagan's presidency. The interaction between the two may seem obvious to some, but not all of us are part of a generation that remembers much about Reagan. Hearing about the collapse of the Soviet Union is nearly the only thing I remember from second grade, and having read this book, I know a great deal more about the man everyone was making such a big fuss about at the time. Like him or not, I don't think it is possible to understand the Cold War without understanding Ronald Reagan.Is it hagiographical? I suppose any biography could be, depending on one's perspective, but although Dr. Kengor admires Reagan, I do not find that any more honor is given than what is due.In the end, it is not a difficult read, and it is footnoted well enough to satisfy those with abundant curiousity and free time. Kengor doesn't assume too much about his readers; the book stands well by itself, and it is not necessary to be a political scientist to understand it. I recommend it without any reservations.

Fair and Balanced

I was privileged to read this book several years ago when it was still a manuscript. I approched it with a critical eye, but found myself moved mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.Paul is a very warm guy with a wry sense of humor, and it is apparent in his style. He expected reviews like the one from Publishers Weekly, which is part of the reason why there are nearly 60 pages of footnotes, the other part is that he is a scholar and takes his craft seriously.So seriously, in fact, that this book was an accident. Kengor was curious how Reagan fought the Cold War and set out to research it. He was struck by how much Reagan's faith influenced his decisions and decided to change tacks. Not one to simply rehash existing records, his research included interviews with family members, co-workers, and friends. Many of his sources are written by Reagan's own hand.If you are not a Christian, you will be prone to look down on this book because of its discussion of spirituality. I challenge you to read this book with a truly open mind. Reagan is often criticized as being rather dim-witted. He also was known for being humble and rather soft-spoken. The criticism all stops at the argument that Reagan almost single-handedly toppled the USSR. He did. It was his resolve and leadership. God has a very ironic sense of humor. This dim-witted, meek, and quiet guy did what no one else could. Sounds like irony to me, the simple shaming the scholars.Read the book; make your own judgments.

Please disregard the Publishers Weekly review above!

This book is anything but a hagiography - it is an unbelievably fair look at the faith of our 40th president. Kengor deals with issues Reagan was highly criticized for by the much maligned "religious right," namely Reagan's lack of church attendance while President and Nancy Reagan's use of astrology. A truly biased biographer interested only in deifying Reagan would have avoided these issues that on the surface reflect poorly on Reagan's faith. Also, identifying Reagan's faith as a driving force in his presidency is not, as the Publishers Weekly review suggests, "seemingly obvious" - it's been largely ignored in the plethora of Reagan scholarship available. It's been 23 years since he first took the oath of office as president, and only now in Kengor's work do we get a book that fully explores the deep faith of Reagan. The most surprising aspect of Reagan's faith is its depth, a fact lost on the Reagan bashers who believe he was nothing but an amiable dunce and mere actor. Carefully tracing Reagan's faith from his childhood, Kengor shows he taught Sunday school, was baptized earlier than most children because of his advanced knowledge of the Bible, and used C.S. Lewis' famed "Liar, Lunatic, or Lord" argument to convince a liberal minister of the deity of Christ. Much of what Kengor draws upon are Reagan's own writings and words, giving the reader an unfiltered view of Reagan's faith. Appallingly, Publishers Weekly said Reagan "harped" on the Soviet Union's religious persecution, as if he was an annoying mother pestering her children to clean their room. Rather, Reagan was animated by his faith to denounce and declare as evil a political-economic system - communism - that killed 100 million people in the twentieth century. Please read this book - it is not only fascinating, but a wonderful work of scholarship. Copious amounts of footnotes (58 pages worth!) back up every claim made in this book, and if weren't for the readable style of Kengor's writing, this could just as easily been an academic book published by a non-trade book publisher. To fully grasp Reagan and his impact on not just America but the world, "God and Ronald Reagan" is necessary reading. I give it my highest possible recommendation.

Someone gets it right...finally

This book finally identifies perhaps THE driving force of Ronald Reagan's life - his faith. The man who ended the Cold War was animated by a profoundly deep faith in God and felt he was enjoined by Scripture and the Lord Jesus to oppose evil - the Soviet Union - with all his might. Kengor relies not on opinions but fact as he traces the spiritual life of Reagan, meticulously using Reagan's own writings and words to highlight his faith. "God and Ronald Reagan" combines the fluid writing of a trade book with the scholarship (one-quarter of the text is footnotes) of a true academic. This is an amazingly engaging read, a true page turner, and a revealing look at Reagan's heretofore ignored faith. As Reagan rides into the sunset of his life, Kengor sheds new light on one of the enduring figures of the twentieth century. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Excellent, insightful

Kengor has done a marvelous job in telling the story of Reagan's spiritual journey. Anyone interested in God, politics, or the person of Reagan, will enjoy this book. Very well written.