The Faith of George W. Bush [Hardcover]

Stephen Mansfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2003

The first book to explore the religious ideals that drive the policies and politics of Bush as president and that have privately shaped Bush as a man.

More than any other president in recent years, George W. Bush's presidency is "faith based." His life demonstrates the power of faith to create change, to build a family and political career, and to shape the destiny of a nation with his leadership.

This book allows us to see how George W. Bush interjects his faith and belief in God into every detail of his life. From the President's devotional time alone each morning to his frequent incorporation of Scripture into his speeches, Bush relies upon his faith to direct his actions and goals.

In 1986, Bush responded to the Biblical conversion story of the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus by asking Jesus to be his friend, and as a result he overcame a growing dependence upon alcohol and turned to the Bible to save his marriage and his family. During his presidential campaign, he brought leading pastors to his governor's mansion to lay hands on him and pray for his future, telling them that he had been "called" to seek higher office.

From the tragedy of September 11th to the present-day conflict in Iraq, President Bush has learned to use his personal faith to help him live his life-both in office and in private. This book will inspire others to do the same.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this favorable look at the politics and faith of the nation's current president, Mansfield, who has penned several historical biographies with faith emphases, examines Bush's spiritual journey and discusses how it shapes his administration. Although he writes that Bush's faith has waxed and waned over the years, Bush "is among a small number of American presidents to have undergone a profound religious transformation as an adult... he came to the presidency, then, with the zeal of the newly converted." To understand the president's brand of faith, Mansfield traces his family legacy, his boyhood in Midland, Tex., his playboy years and his lifelong love affair with baseball. Bush's marriage to Laura helped stabilize him spiritually, and Mansfield details later encounters with evangelists Arthur Blessit and Billy Graham that he believes were pivotal in Bush's spiritual formation. He also shows the role of Bush's Christianity in running for various offices, implementing faith-based initiatives and responding to 9/11 and war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Throughout the book, Mansfield offers his own interpretations about events in writing that is often rich and specific in detail. Noticeably absent is commentary on Bush's controversial environmental policies and how his faith has-or has not-informed them. But Mansfield is correct when he writes that "whatever else the presidency of George W. Bush imprints on American history, it will at the least have granted the nation an opportunity to rethink the role of religion in its public life."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Stephen Mansfield is the author of numerous books on history and leadership, including Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill and Then Darkness Fled: The Liberating Wisdom of Booker T. Washington.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; 1st Edition 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 edition (November 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585423092
• ISBN-13: 978-1585423095
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,517,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's about time!, October 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Faith of George W. Bush (Hardcover)

It seems there are a miriad of books that communicate either a passion or a dislike for President Bush. Finally, someone has written a book that walks the middle ground. Dr. Mansfield tells some wonderful, previously unheard stories of President Bush's path to salvation and personal clarity of purpose, as well as the human frailties that shaped his earlier years. What Dr. Mansfield paints is a picture of a man who truly believes in a divine purpose about his life, but a man who seriously seeks God's will with a humble and sincere heart. Very well written and inspirational!

38 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great insight into the foundation and heart of the man, October 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Faith of George W. Bush (Hardcover)

George W Bush may be one of the most misunderstood presidents in history, and certainly of our time. This book allowed me to understand the motives behind his decisions, and to understand the heart of a president serving at a critical juncture in America's life. I appreciate Mansfield's ability to articulate the path that the president has taken in his life, and to do it in a factual, balanced, and unbiased manner. Refreshing and insightful!

59 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Man For All Seasons, November 6, 2003

By 

D. Broadus "Rapid Reader" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Faith of George W. Bush (Hardcover)

This is a facinating look into the heart and soul of President George W Bush. Mansfield does not gloss over Bush's weaknesses or failures, but neither does he use those weaknesses to attack and villify Bush. Rather, he presents the facts as he found them, and leaves us with a portrait of a man with the human weaknesses we all share, but a man who found the faith to overcome and rise above his fallen human condition.
We see in George W Bush a man who has the total confidence of one who understands his purpose and who has total faith in his God, but who, at the same time, humbles himself before that God, knowing that all can and will be lost if he succumbs to the temptation of pride and forgets that he is only where he is by the grace of God.
This is a book that needed to be written, and should be read by all who truly want to understand what motivates this 43rd President of the United States.