Reflections on Faith &
Life for the Years of Winter:
THE SOUL OF AMERICA: The Battle for Our Better Angels, Jon Meacham [Random House, 2018]
Meacham writes history like
a novelist. Good, popular, readable history. His writing is simple and clear,
but engaging. He knows how to tell a story.
His message in this book is
simple: Donald Trump is a disaster, and his supporters may be an even bigger
disaster, but America has survived disastrous presidents and frightened voters
before.
America did not survive,
though, by trusting that everything would turn out okay. We survived because
enough people got concerned and involved and changed the president, and the
culture.
He examines presidential
leadership styles—Lincoln, Teddy, FDR, LBJ, et al--and demagoguery leadership
styles—Father Coughlin, Joe McCarthy, et al.
Meacham is an historian
and journalist by profession, but a theologian by instinct and interest. He
understands original sin. He knows that there is no permanent progress toward
victory by our better angels. It’s a new battle—actually the same old battle—in
each new generation.
It’s a good and hopeful
book. I recommend it. But it will do no good if I only appreciate the book and
do nothing to follow up on its insights.
JRMcF
johnrobertmcfarland@gmail.com
“I think
disguise is the essence of evil… calling the evil good, believing the
disguise—that’s when real trouble begins… there is surely no better disguise
than the cloak of religious piety.” Wm. Sloane Coffin
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