One Nation Under God

"We're often told that the United States is, was, and always has been a Christian nation. But in One Nation Under God, h... (more)

"We're often told that the United States is, was, and always has been a Christian nation. But in One Nation Under God, historian Kevin M. Kruse reveals that the idea of 'Christian America' is an invention--and a relatively recent one at that. As Kruse argues, the belief that America is fundamentally and formally a Christian nation originated in the 1930s when businessmen enlisted religious activists in their fight against FDR's New Deal. Corporations from General Motors to Hilton Hotels bankrolled conservative clergymen, encouraging them to attack the New Deal as a program of 'pagan statism' that perverted the central principle of Christianity: the sanctity and salvation of the individual. Their campaign for 'freedom under God' culminated in the election of their close ally Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. But this apparent triumph had an ironic twist. In Eisenhower's hands, a religious movement born in opposition to the government was transformed into one that fused faith and the federal government as never before. During the 1950s, Eisenhower revolutionized the role of religion in American political culture, inventing new traditions from inaugural prayers to the National Prayer Breakfast. Meanwhile, Congress added the phrase 'under God' to the Pledge of Allegiance and made 'In God We Trust' the country's first official motto. With private groups joining in, church membership soared to an all-time high of 69%. For the first time, Americans began to think of their country as an officially Christian nation. During this moment, virtually all Americans--across the religious and political spectrum--believed that their country was 'one nation under God.' But as Americans moved from broad generalities to the details of issues such as school prayer, cracks began to appear. Religious leaders rejected this 'lowest common denomination' public religion, leaving conservative political activists to champion it alone. In Richard Nixon's hands, a politics that conflated piety and patriotism became sole property of the right. Provocative and authoritative, One Nation Under God reveals how the unholy alliance of money, religion, and politics created a false origin story that continues to define and divide American politics to this day"-- (less)

"In One Nation Under God, award-winning historian Kevin M. Kruse argues that the story of Christian America begins with ... (more)

"In One Nation Under God, award-winning historian Kevin M. Kruse argues that the story of Christian America begins with the Great Depression, when a coalition of businessmen and religious leaders united in opposition to the New Deal. As Kruse shows, corporations from General Motors and Kraft Foods to J.C. Penney and Hilton Hotels, poured money into the coffers of conservative religious leaders, who in turn used those funds to attack FDR's New Deal administration as a program of "pagan statism" that perverted the central tenet of Christianity: the salvation of the individual"-- (less)

Examines the role of prayer in every aspect of American life, from the early colonial days to the present, bringing toge... (more)

Examines the role of prayer in every aspect of American life, from the early colonial days to the present, bringing together an assortment of American hymns, patriotic anthems, arts, and literature that reflects the prayer lives of Americans. (less)

Imagine: beauty makeovers for butch lesbians; tackle football for gay men: electroshock orgasmic reorientation... these ... (more)

Imagine: beauty makeovers for butch lesbians; tackle football for gay men: electroshock orgasmic reorientation... these and other funny, bizarre, and often terrifying methods have been used for decades to "cure" gays and lesbians of their homosexuality. ONE NATION UNDER GOD takes us into the strange world of "ex-gay" ministries and "conversion" therapies, revealing shocking techniques used to "straighten" out all those "twisted" souls. At the center of the film are two former leaders of one of the biggest ex-gay ministries . . . who just happen to fall in love. (less)