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Kevin Michael Kruse
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One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America Audio CD – Unabridged, May 3, 2016

by Kevin M. Kruse (Author), Jeff Cummings (Reader)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 741 ratings
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Conventional wisdom holds that America has been a Christian nation since the Founding Fathers. But in One Nation Under God, historian Kevin M. Kruse argues that the idea of “Christian America” is nothing more than a myth―and a relatively recent one at that.

The assumption that America was, is, and always will be a Christian nation dates back no further than the 1930s, when a coalition of businessmen and religious leaders united in opposition to FDR’s New Deal. With the full support of Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s, these activists―the forerunners of the Religious Right―propelled religion into the public sphere. Church membership skyrocketed; Congress added the phrase “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance and made “In God We Trust” the country’s official motto. For the first time, America became a thoroughly religious nation.

Provocative and authoritative, One Nation Under God reveals how the comingling of money, religion, and politics created a false origin story that continues to define and divide American politics today.

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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Brilliance Audio
  3. Publication date
    May 3, 2016
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 5.5 x 0.25 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1501238213
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1501238215
  7. See all details
Next slide of product details

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brilliance Audio; Unabridged edition (May 3, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501238213
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501238215
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 5.5 x 0.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 741 ratings

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Kevin Michael Kruse

Kevin Michael Kruse

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
741 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book excellent, riveting, and well-written. They also say it's well-researched, informative, and well-documented. Readers describe the historical context as enlightening, fascinating, and great for today's politics. Opinions differ on the pacing, with some finding it solid and disturbing, while others say it's a slog to get through.

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ReadabilityInformation qualityHistorical contextPacing
67 customers mention "Readability"67 positive0 negative

Customers find the book excellent, riveting, and well-written. They say it's riveting and well-laid out. Readers mention it's a must-read for liberals, conservatives, and moderates.

"...This is an important book. While it does not provide answers, it helps explain why we’re at this point in our national history...." Read more

"...Conflict.Positives:1. Interesting and well-written book. Fair and respectful treatment.2...." Read more

"...I give it 5 stars for scholarliness, sticking to the facts, timeliness, historical veracity, and as a book that will become a valuable reference for..." Read more

"Fantastic book! I highly recommend. Lived through the frantic “Under God” fifties as a child...." Read more

60 customers mention "Information quality"60 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-researched, well-written, and presented with a very detailed history lesson. They say the essential message is worth examining and the information is reliable.

"One Nation, Under God, by Kevin M. Kruse, is a thoroughly researched and well-cited exposé of how many got to the belief that we are a “Christian..." Read more

"...into the evolution of the religious right and makes a compelling case of their true origins. A worthwhile book to read, I recommend it!..." Read more

"...I give it 5 stars for scholarliness, sticking to the facts, timeliness, historical veracity, and as a book that will become a valuable reference for..." Read more

"...It’s absolutely fascinating and well researched and I personally think it should be required reading in seminaries across the nation...." Read more

32 customers mention "Historical context"29 positive3 negative

Customers find the historical context of the book enlightening, fascinating, and interesting. They appreciate the good historical analysis of Populist conception and the vital background to the rise of the politicized evangelical Christian right today. Readers also mention the book is well-researched and crucial if one wants to understand how we live.

"...20. An excellent epilogue.21. Notes included. A section of abbreviations.Negatives:1. Interesting but on the dry side...." Read more

"...This book provides the historical backdrop which put us in an election pitting an experienced good man against a mentally ill megalomaniac Messianic..." Read more

"...It’s absolutely fascinating and well researched and I personally think it should be required reading in seminaries across the nation...." Read more

"..." Read more

11 customers mention "Pacing"7 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find it solid, disturbing, and riveting, while others say it's a slog to get through and tedious.

"...On the overall this is a very solid book, well researched and well documented...." Read more

"...But, they are poorly written and edited and a slog to get through, though the info is worth it...." Read more

"...It is as disturbing as it is riveting." Read more

"Fascinating and disturbing. It's a little slow though." Read more

Another Princetonian, New World Order Marionette, Spewing Militant Antichristian Hate Speech
1 out of 5 stars
Another Princetonian, New World Order Marionette, Spewing Militant Antichristian Hate Speech
The fact that Kevin Kruse is a Princeton Historian speaks volumes. The following is a quote from the book, DECEPTION: The Ancient Mystery That Holds The Secret of Newgrange, pg.81:“Orson [Welles] was the radio broadcaster of the first electronic mass media psychological operation (psy-ops) created by Princeton University Radio Project, under the supervision of psychologist Dr. Paul F. Lazarsfeld, Frank Stanton (later the head of CBS Radio and Television and RAND Corporation). The psy-op was financed by The Rockefeller Family and program was titled “War of the Worlds” a radio version of H.G. Welles 1897 book of the same name. H.G. Welles book was based on Social Darwinism, in that the aliens exercise over humans their ‘rights’ as a superior race. Welles worldview was shaped by Thomas Henry Huxley who was given the name “Darwin’s Bulldog” for his fervent support of Charles Darwin, as a matter of fact Huxley was a pallbearer at the funeral of Charles Darwin [4/26/1882].”Aside from hailing from a University - which executed one of the largest psy-ops on the American public - this so-called historian’s entire thesis is upheld by the ludicrous notion that a “Christian America” is a fictional idea invented to challenge Roosevelt’s 1930s “New Deal”. The problem with this nonsense is that throughout Abraham Lincoln’s political career [1800s] he repeatedly refers to America as a “Christian Nation”. It was Abraham Lincoln in fact who changed America’s label of being a “Christian Nation” to “This nation under God” to appease antichristian Talmudists. To understand why this happened please visit DestroyersDotUs.Lastly, one of the best books to read regarding America’s Christian roots is, “God and Founders’ Remedy for America by Stephen G. Forfer.
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Top reviews from the United States

X. Libris
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly researched background on how we got to the belief that we are a "Christian Nation"
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2017
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One Nation, Under God, by Kevin M. Kruse, is a thoroughly researched and well-cited exposé of how many got to the belief that we are a “Christian nation.” It did not start with the founding of our country, when references to God were generic, even “ceremonially deistic” (as the author states), and used phrases like “Creator,” that could be embraced by multiple faith expressions.

This book also helps to explain the rise of the Religious Right, and even the election of Donald Trump, although he is not mentioned because it was published prior to his election.

Rather than provide my own summary, I will quote a few key passages from the closing chapter.

“…touchstones of religious nationalism have only become more deeply lodged in American political culture over time, as the innovations of one generation became the familiar traditions for the next. But as these religious notes have been drummed into the national consciousness, almost by rote, we have forgotten their origins. More than that, we have forgotten they have origins at all (page 292).”

“The rites of our public religion originated not in a spiritual crisis, but rather in the political and economic turmoil of the Great Depression. The story of business leaders enlisting clergymen in their war against the New Deal is one that has been largely obscured by the very ideology that resulted from it… Their ideology of ‘freedom under God’ did not topple the regulatory state as they hoped…it ultimately accomplished more than its corporate creators ever dreamed possible. It convinced a wide range of Americans that their country had been, and should always be, a Christian nation (pages 292-293).”

This is an important book. While it does not provide answers, it helps explain why we’re at this point in our national history. Recommended for people who like American history, history of Christianity, politics in general, or even popular culture.
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Book Shark
4.0 out of 5 stars Even-handed History of America's Religious Roots
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2015
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One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America by Kevin Kruse

“One Nation Under God" is an even-handed book that makes the record clear on where America’s religious identity came from. Professor Kevin Kruse makes the compelling historical case that America’s religious identity had its roots in the domestic politics against Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s and 1940s. This scholarly 386-page book includes eight chapters broken out into the following three parts: I. Creation, II. Consecration, and III. Conflict.

Positives:
1. Interesting and well-written book. Fair and respectful treatment.
2. A fascinating premise, how Corporate America invented a Christian America.
3. Kruse does not waste time in establishing his thesis for the book. “This book argues, the postwar revolution in America’s religious identity had its roots not in the foreign policy panic of the 1950s but rather in the domestic politics of the 1930s and early 1940s.”
4. The origins of the union of Christianity and capitalism. “At First Congregational and elsewhere, the minister reached out warmly to the wealthy, assuring them that their worldly success was a sign of God’s blessings and brushing off the criticism of clergymen who disagreed.”
5. The anti-New Deal movement. “For Fifield and his associates, the phrase “freedom under God”—in contrast with what they saw as oppression under the federal government—became an effective new rallying cry in the early 1950s.”
6. The role that Billy Graham played in American politics. “As the Washington crusade began in January 1952, Graham made clear his intent to influence national politics.”
7. It’s always interesting to read about the fathers of prominent politicians and religious leaders of today or recent past. See how many you find.
8. Political opportunism illustrated. “Vereide recognized that the tensions of the Cold War could be exploited to win more converts to his cause.”
9. A comprehensive look at the history of the National Day of Prayer. “In an apparent nod to the previous year’s “Freedom Under God” observance, which was set to be repeated in 1952, Truman selected the Fourth of July as the date for the first National Day of Prayer.”
10. Eisenhower unlikely role as the spiritual leader of a nation. “Eisenhower’s relationship with the Freedoms Foundation ran back to its founding. In his first meeting with Belding in September 1948, he discovered that the ad man shared his belief that the free enterprise system was in desperate need of defense.” “FOR EISENHOWER, THE “GOVERNMENT UNDER God” theme of the first prayer breakfast became a blueprint for his entire administration.”
11. Key stats that show the influence of religion and politics. “The decade and a half after the Second World War, however, saw a significant surge: the percentage claiming a church membership climbed to 57 percent in 1950 and then spiked to an all-time high of 69 percent at the end of the decade.”
12. The drive to declare the United States as one based on the Bible. In God We Trust. “In July 1953, the National Association of Evangelicals arranged to have Eisenhower, Nixon, and other high-ranking officials sign a statement declaring that the United States government was based on biblical principles.”
13. Interesting tidbits about our founding fathers. “The founding fathers had felt no need to acknowledge “the law and authority of Jesus Christ,” and neither had subsequent generations of American legislators.”
14. A comprehensive look at the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. “THE ORIGINAL PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, much like the Constitution itself, did not acknowledge the existence of God. Its author, Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister from Rome, New York, was a decidedly religious man, but when he wrote the pledge in the 1890s he described himself as something that would seem an oxymoron in Eisenhower’s America: a ‘Christian socialist’.”
15. Interesting history on the need to create an illusion of historical accuracy.
16. Separation of church and state. “The justice reached back to borrow a metaphor coined in a letter to his fellow Baptists in Danbury, Connecticut, two and a half centuries before. “In the words of Jefferson,” Black wrote, “the clause against establishment of religion by laws was intended to erect ‘a wall of separation between church and state.” “Religious liberty was essential, he told his wife, because “when one religion gets predominance, they immediately try to suppress the others.”
17. A look at the quest for school prayer amendment. The tactics used by both sides. “The issue is that agencies of government cannot avoid favoring one denomination and hurting another by the practical decisions that have to be made by government authority on what version of the Bible shall be imposed and what prayer. The churches know this and that is why they are against the Becker Amendment.”
18. Prayers at the White House. “In creating a “kind of sanctuary” in the East Room, Nixon committed the very sin the founders had sought to avoid.”
19. Republicans use of religion for political gain. “Much as Reagan used school prayer as a partisan issue, Bush used the pledge.”
20. An excellent epilogue.
21. Notes included. A section of abbreviations.

Negatives:
1. Interesting but on the dry side. The book is scholarly but the author lacks flare.
2. Lacks conviction. The book feels more like a cold report than an engaging thesis.
3. Charts and timelines would have added value.
4. No formal bibliography.
5. At $14.92 for a Kindle book when the Hardcover was available for $15.70 at time of purchase may hurt some trees.

In summary, this is really a 3.5 star book but I’m feeling generous. On the one hand, it’s an interesting topic that is covered in a fair and respectful manner while on the other hand it lacks panache. Kruse provides great insights into the evolution of the religious right and makes a compelling case of their true origins. A worthwhile book to read, I recommend it!

Further recommendations: “Why the Religious Right Is Wrong about Separation of Church and State” by Robert Boston, “Nonbeliever Nation” by David Niose, “The Dark Side of Christian History” by Helen Ellerbe, “Birth Control, Insurance Coverage, & the Religious Right” by A.F. Alexander, “The God Argument” by A.C. Grayling, “Freethinkers” by Susan Jacoby, “Moral Combat” by Sikivu Hutchinson, “Republican Gomorrah” by Max Blumenthal, “American Fascists” by Chris Hedges, “Doubt” by Jennifer Michael Hecht, and “Society Without God” by Phil Zuckerman.
38 people found this helpful
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Rick Reckamp
5.0 out of 5 stars A book from the real No Spin Zone
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2015
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Like so many others this book is about politics. What it is not - is another one of those research deficient screeds that are one percent fact and 99 percent fantasy pulled out of someone's behind. It is fully annotated, with references and a bibliography that is both impressive for its references and its sources. Every paragraph and every assertion is factcheckable. Names, dates and places are attached to the narrative leaving the debunkers little room to quibble.

It begins with the Election of DD Eisenhower in 1952 and describes, in an exhaustively researched narrative, how we have through the succeeding administrations erroneously come to believe that we are a Christian Nation instead of a Nation of Christians. The meticulousness of the references prevents it from being a page turner, but it is a fascinating read for those who believe the Conservatives have hijacked God and the Flag, but don't know how it happened. Kruse details the process and the players during the 63 years Americans have been turned from a more liberal secularism to a more conservative sectarianism.

Conservatives will not like the obvious conclusions to be drawn from "One Nation Under God", but they will find a lot to like in it. As I read certain passages I could almost hear them echoing, "THAT'S RIGHT" and "Of COURSE", not realizing they are affirming sectarianism and authoritarianism which are contrary to their reverently held Constitution. Liberals, who feel that the Conservatives have appropriated patriotism as their exclusive property, will find the facts to support their own Constitutional ideals.

I give it 5 stars for scholarliness, sticking to the facts, timeliness, historical veracity, and as a book that will become a valuable reference for future study.
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Top reviews from other countries

janet
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading
Reviewed in Canada on December 11, 2021
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I think we all need to know the truth behind our institutions. Who is trustworthy? Who has a hidden agenda? Who is actually pulling the strings behind the scenes? In this book Kevin Kruse does an exhaustive historical analysis, connecting all the dots between the origins of the religious right and it's current incarnation. This is an exquisitely valuable book and a great read - to go with his accurate and articulate writing style, Kevin has a wicked sense of humor!
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on April 15, 2018
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Outstanding. Answers many questions from citizens of less blessed countries.
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Steve Glover
5.0 out of 5 stars The inside scoop on religiosity in America with clues on the reason Ted Cruz might have made it and the rise of Trumpism
Reviewed in Canada on September 20, 2016
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Interesting detailing of how the conservative right, placed religion in the centre of the American physic. A little too much detail on the who but very revealing on how America was manipulated from the late 40's to today, into believeing that christianity was the only way for white folks to have hope in the future. Religious saturation bombing is the key strategy. Gives a good indication as to why the Republican Party has really become the white peoples party. No wonder white people are scared to death. Speed read though the relentless detail but, dont miss the fact that America has been had.
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PRJL
5.0 out of 5 stars Contemporay history sheds light on today
Reviewed in Canada on May 7, 2015
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There is an old saying that if you want to understand today you need to understand history. This book clarifies the background behind today's political scene in the US and to some extent in Canada. Well written, well researched.
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Sylvain lafreniere
5.0 out of 5 stars Well presented and very educational. Answers a lot of ...
Reviewed in Canada on September 10, 2015
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Well presented and very educational. Answers a lot of the questions as to "how the US became a religious country...."
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