The Faith of George W. Bush
By Stephen Mansfield

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.

About the Author
Stephen Mansfield is the author of numerous books on history and leadership, including Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill and Then Darkness Fled: The Liberating Wisdom of Booker T. Washington.

Book Description
The first book to explore the religious ideals that drive the policies and politics of Bush as president and that have privately shaped Bush as a man.

More than any other president in recent years, George W. Bush's presidency is "faith based." His life demonstrates the power of faith to create change, to build a family and political career, and to shape the destiny of a nation with his leadership.

This book allows us to see how George W. Bush interjects his faith and belief in God into every detail of his life. From the President's devotional time alone each morning to his frequent incorporation of Scripture into his speeches, Bush relies upon his faith to direct his actions and goals.

In 1986, Bush responded to the Biblical conversion story of the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus by asking Jesus to be his friend, and as a result he overcame a growing dependence upon alcohol and turned to the Bible to save his marriage and his family. During his presidential campaign, he brought leading pastors to his governor's mansion to lay hands on him and pray for his future, telling them that he had been "called" to seek higher office.

From the tragedy of September 11th to the present-day conflict in Iraq, President Bush has learned to use his personal faith to help him live his life-both in office and in private. This book will inspire others to do the same.

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