Under God [Paperback]

TobyMac (Author), Michael Tait (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004

In the same uncompromising style of Jesus Freaks, bestselling authors Michael Tait and TobyMac of dc Talk now urge readers to take their stand for America's future--by examining our past. Using unforgettable accounts of both famous and little-known Americans, Under God examines the stories of men and women who forged our nation. Against these, they pair the dark side of America's legacy--racism, slavery, injustice--in order that a new generation might seek God's face and avoid repeating sins of the past. The authors draw on the resources of WallBuilders, a national organization that distributes historical, legal, and statistical information and helps citizens become active in their communities.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This attractive book should win awards for its innovative design and layout even while raising eyebrows with its revisionist text. Mac and Tait, the Grammy and Dove Award-winning members of Christian band DC Talk, move from the tremendous success of their Jesus Freaks series to take a quickie tour of American history. It’s certainly more nuanced than some other Christian interpretations of the nation’s founding, as the Founders are allowed to have a few flaws. (Benjamin Franklin, for all his teachings on thrift and industry, was a slave-owning dandy, for example.) The authors don’t stop with the Founders and Framers, but carry forward the American story in a greatest-hits manner while touching on freedom fighters (Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr.) and political leaders through the 20th century. But the historical merits of this book are shallow in the area of religion. In their determination to show the Christian foundations of the American nation, the authors strongly overstate the evangelical bona fides of their heroes. Thomas Jefferson appears all through the book, for example, but the authors never discuss his controversial reworking of the Bible with all of the miracles and supernatural elements excised. And Sojourner Truth is cast as a classic evangelical Christian with no mention of her forays into the Kingdom of Matthias cult or spiritualist seances. Still, the lasting appeal of this book is its stunning design, not its one-sided view of history. With jagged-cut pages, Old World backgrounds, "distressed" illustrations and bold sidebars, the book’s appearance is both arresting and ingenious.
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Review

"A beautiful book. This one does what it set out to do- stir the hearts and spirits of contemporary Americans." -- Faithful Reader.com

"I literally could not put it down." -- Bookloons.com

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; 1ST edition (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764200089
• ISBN-13: 978-0764200083
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Powerful Book, November 1, 2004

By 

apoem "apoem" (Bosque Farms, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Under God (Paperback)

This book is a set of short one to three page factual stories of historical events and people. Each one focuses on the positive and on God's place in these events.

For example, one short story was about Daniel Webster and the talk he gave on Plymouth Rock. However, it emphasizes Daniel Webster's belief in God and the role God played in his life.

The book brought home to me the high price that many people have paid for our freedoms. It also brought home to me again, the large part that God played in this Country from the beginning to now.

These are short stories that do not focus on every aspect of each life or event they chose to include in this book. There are books that have been written about each person and each event that goes into greater detail. I will agree the authors overlooked some of the negative aspects of our history. The previous reviewer is correct. However, I do not think that is the point of this book. This book is a celebration of God and the role he has played in this country.

I found this book to be very powerful. It was a strong reminder to me that I have much to be thankful for and much to appreciate in this country. This country has much that is worth protecting. It was a strong reminder to me that God is ever present in our lives and that He has a greater purpose in mind.

Having said that, I did not find that this was an "God-- In your Face" type of book. Rather, through quotes from these historical people and events in history a great story is retold.

Well worth every penny.
Enjoy.

34 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Triumph and Tragedy: America's Spiritual History, November 24, 2004

By 

Michael Erisman (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Under God (Paperback)

This is a very interesting book to read, as it is really a collection of short stories, historical events, quotes and documents that show America's Spiritual roots. This book is not a feel good effort, but rather shows America in the courage of Black efforts for freedom, the tragedy of the racism legacy, the wisdom of our founding fathers, and countless stories in between.

That America is founded on the principles of the Christian faith is of course historical fact. The top of the Washington monument states in Latin: "Luas Deo", which means "Praise be to God" (Page 154). This and countless other examples of our spiritual roots are found throughout the book. This makes the stories of racial strife even more difficult to read, as we have so many examples of how far we have strayed from our roots.

Of the most powerful depictions are those during the civil rights movement. The book contains dozens of stories, including some detailed depictions of the Birmingham Church bombing and the de-segregation battles fought in Alabama. The story of the courageous Ruby Bridges who attended first grade classes alone and was subjected to countless verbal assaults to do so, is inspiring. Here this brave little girl prayed for those who insulted her as she walked to school surrounded by Federal Marshals. One cannot read this story, without being moved at her courage and faith. (Page 71).

Abraham Lincoln spoke these words many years ago, which ring as true today: "My great concern is not whether God is on our side. My great concern is to be on God's side." (Page 169).

Overall, this is a very good book. The depictions and stories leave no doubt to our roots, our past triumphs and tragedies. Easy to read in short bursts or in one sitting, it is well documented with pages of sources in the bibliography. Highly recommended for all who are proud of our nation, and desire to learn from our past mistakes, and ensure that we live up to our spiritual heritage as a people and as a nation.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History, July 21, 2005

By 

Chris Borey "revelation91" (Rosamond, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Under God (Paperback)

Ok, so far this book has illiurated some positive and negative points. Sad to say, some historical facts are wrong. One of the reviewers has clearly pointed out.. But if look beside the facts, and look at the true aspect of this book, we can see what Tait and Toby are trying to stress. God is in the picture! Like it or not, God has been the center of all issues in history. Good against evil. Christians against athesits. God is already there, but his position in our lives have seem to dwindle. Our nation was based on Godly principles. Though many leaders, in this book, may or may not claim to be Christians, they do have the aspect of God being their main source of power and strength. This is a very good book, but still needs to get some facts straight.