The Faith of George W. Bush (Paperback)

~ (Author) "It was not the Longhorns, the Aggies, or the Dallas Cowboys they were thinking about that day in Texas..." (more)
Key Phrases: interview with author, White House, United States, Religious Right (more...)

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 the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

"I feel like God wants me to run for president. I can't explain it, but I sense my country is going to need me. Something is going to happen and, at that time, my country is going to need me. I know it won't be easy on me or my family, but God wants me to do it."

So said then-Governor George W. Bush to a few trusted friends about the 2000 presidential race. As president, Bush has continued to bring his deep religious belief to his job-a fact that has delighted the nation's conservative Christians and distressed many others.

That Bush has appointed likeminded Christians to high posts-including Secretary of State John Ashcroft, who was once quoted as saying that America had "no king but Jesus"-has only fueled the controversy. So have Bush's support and funding of faith-based initiatives. And with his administration swearing to keep the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, a matter which the Supreme Court will take under consideration this fall, many are left wondering: Whatever happened to the separation between church and state?

But Bush's faith is an asset to his presidency and not a weakness, argues Stephen Mansfield in his provocative new book, The Faith of George Bush. In this spiritual biography of the president, Mansfield shows that Bush uses his faith to help him be a better leader (and man and husband and parent) without allowing it to dictate policy decisions. Said his close friend, Commerce Secretary Don Evans: "It gives him a desire to serve others and a very clear sense of what is good and what is evil."

With anecdotes that are both inspiring and eye opening, Mansfield traces the arc of Bush's spiritual (and not-so-spiritual) life from his childhood to the present:

*The religious influences of his parents, George, Sr. and Barbara.

*His academic difficulties at Andover and Yale, which may have been exacerbated by a possible learning disorder such as dyslexia.

*His aimless, decadent lifestyle after Yale, which consisted of driving around Houston in his Triumph, dating beautiful women, drinking, and partying.

*His future wife Laura, who introduced Bush to the Methodist church.

*A little-known meeting between Bush and evangelist Arthur Blessitt in 1984, which Bush has never spoken about publicly, which helped to define his commitment to Jesus and give shape to his previously shapeless, aimless life.

*Bush's famous walk with the Reverend Billy Graham in 1985, which led Barbara Bush to say, "George has been born again."

*How Bush's faith helped him to give up drinking.

*His first forays into politics: running for a Congressional District seat at age 31; working on his father's presidential campaign (where his faith helped him to resist the advances of an attractive young campaign worker and keep his family first and foremost); and winning the Texas gubernatorial race against Ann Richards, a victory which he owed to his beliefs and his outspoken views about religion.

*His appointments of cabinet members, top advisors, judges, and others, many of whom share his commitment to Jesus-and how that circle of faith helps him to help the nation.

*...and more.

The Faith of George Bush is a fascinating look at a man whose spirituality brought moral renovation to his life, set him free from his lesser self, and made him an extraordinary, complicated, and for some, controversial leader.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; First Edition 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 edition (April 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585423785
• ISBN-13: 978-1585423781
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,280,237 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 46 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!

34 of 41 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!

56 of 72 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.