Description
Book SynopsisExplores the intersection of religion and politics in the era of Kennedy's presidency. Patrick Lacroix challenges the established view that the postwar religious revival disappeared when President Eisenhower left office and that the election of 1960, which carried JFK to the White House, struck a definitive blow to anti-Catholic prejudice.
Trade ReviewJohn F. Kennedy's Catholicism has often been seen as merely a surmountable barrier to election. In fact, as Patrick Lacroix capably demonstrates, Kennedy's religious engagement supplies a missing piece to histories of American Catholicism and to dominant narratives about the decline of the Religious Left and rise of the Religious Right. Through deft use of sources, including a treasure trove of oral histories, Lacroix reveals Kennedy as a catalyst for midcentury religious realignment and a figure who demands reconsideration." - Elesha Coffman, author of
The Christian Century and the Rise of the Protestant Mainline"As Patrick Lacroix explains with skill and grace, the 'Catholic question' in American politics was not put to rest with the presidential election of 1960. In
John F. Kennedy and the Politics of Faith, we learn how Kennedy's engagement with religion on a broad range of subjects produced surprising alliances, unlikely foes, and unexpected results, all of which shaped his presidency and the political culture of the United States going forward. Lacroix has made an important contribution to our understanding of the Kennedy legacy and of the 1960s." - Jason K. Duncan, author of
John F. Kennedy: The Spirit of Cold War Liberalism"Saying something new about John F. Kennedy and Catholicism might seem impossible, but Patrick Lacroix accomplishes this and much more. His astute and compelling study traces how Kennedy's Catholicism shaped domestic and foreign policy choices on everything from education to Latin America. To read Lacroix is to understand how religion shaped not only the Kennedy presidency but also much of what followed during the not-so-secular 1960s." - John McGreevy, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, Notre Dame University, and author of
Catholicism and American Freedom: A History"Well researched and timely as ever,
John F. Kennedy and the Politics of Faith corrects both academic and popular misconceptions about JFK's not inconsiderable contributions to American religious life in the 1960s. Essential reading for these times, and those ahead." - L. Benjamin Rolsky, author of
The Rise and Fall of the Religious Left: Politics, Television, and Popular Culture in the 1970s and Beyond
