‘MTSU On the Record’ analyzes advent of ‘civil religion’ campaign in United States

Dr. Andrew Polk, top right, an associate professor of history, is the latest guest on the "MTSU On the Record" with host Gina Logue. The first of his two-part interview will air from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, and from 6 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org. Polk is the author of “Faith in Freedom: Propaganda, Presidential Politics, and the Making of an American Religion.” The book presents evidence of a concerted effort by the federal government through the administrations of three presidents to promote a national unity under God with a heavily Christian influence. (MTSU photo of Polk; book cover submitted)

Dr. Andrew Polk, top right, an associate professor of history, is shown with the cover of his book “Faith in Freedom: Propaganda, Presidential Politics and the Making of an American Religion,” which he discussed Feb. 15 on “MTSU On the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org. Polk’s book presents evidence of a concerted effort by the federal government,, through the administrations of three presidents, to promote a national unity under God with a heavily Christian influence. (MTSU photo of Polk; book cover submitted)

Wartime and Cold War policies that shoved aside the concept of separation of church and state were the topic of discussion on a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

The first part of host Gina Logue’s two-part interview with Dr. Andrew Polk, an associate professor of history at MTSU, aired Feb. 15 on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org.

You can listen to their conversation via the SoundCloud link above.

Dr. Andrew Polk

Gina K. Logue

Polk is the author of “Faith in Freedom: Propaganda, Presidential Politics and the Making of an American Religion.”

The book presents evidence of a concerted effort by the federal government, through the administrations of three presidents, to promote a national unity under God with a heavily Christian influence.

Important to this mission was the creation of the Advertising Council, a group of advertising executives who launched public relations campaigns promoting faith as the way to beat the “godless Communists” of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc nations.

“Even in the ‘70s and ‘80s, most of what was coming through the Republican Party and through white evangelical movements was actually a repeat, sometimes verbatim, quoting from policies and campaigns that happened in the late 1930s and especially 1940s and 1950s,” Polk said.

The second part of Polk’s interview will air from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, and from 6 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 27.