Faculty Publications
Religion and National Security in the Early Cold War
Document Type
Book Chapter
Journal/Book/Conference Title
The Routledge History of Religion and Politics in the United States since 1775
First Page
350
Last Page
360
Abstract
Concerns about national security have been an ever-present feature in the lives of Americans born after World War II, and it can seem as if the term itself has long been wedged in the American consciousness. Yet the understanding of “national security” we have today is, historically speaking, a recent development that is itself inseparable from the United States’ emergence as a superpower in the mid-twentieth century. Few domains of American life illustrate these changes better than national security (presumed to be about something “abroad”) and religion (presumed to be about something “at home”). But the postwar transformation of American culture collapsed meaningful distinctions between “at home” and “abroad,” as U.S. power expanded around the globe, bringing with it domestic American ideas, beliefs, and fears. These intertwining motivations-local and global, foreign and domestic-were clearest when the early Cold War turned hot. The Korean War, and the early years of American involvement in Vietnam, are the lens through which I investigate important developments in the relationship between American religion and U.S. national security.
Department
Department of Philosophy and World Religions
Original Publication Date
12-29-2024
DOI of published version
10.4324/9781003299721-38
Recommended Citation
Graziano, Michael, "Religion and National Security in the Early Cold War" (2024). Faculty Publications. 6735.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facpub/6735
