The evangelical protestant defense of Americanism, 1945-1960

Abstract

This study concerns evangelical Protestants' concept of the American way of life and their anxieties over their culture from 1945 to 1960. Believing that the Protestant ethos was responsible for the distinctive features or American democracy, they reared that non-Protestant peoples and ideologies were antithetical to Americanism. They were particularly fearful of communism and Catholicism. While moat evangelicals did not become involved in discussions or immigration, a minority opposed immigrants on the same grounds as earlier nativist groups. No issue provided a stronger bond for evangelical Protestants than their fears of Catholicism. In this regard three issues evoked widespread alarm: an ambassador to the Vatican, a Catholic president, and state aid to parochial schools. Concerning Marxism they were primarily concerned with internal security and an ideological drift toward socialistic attitudes. They opposed ecumenicism and internationalism because both these movements were too sort on Catholicism and communism. The main sources for this study include publications of the National Association of Evangelicals and member groups, nondenominational periodicals which identify themselves as evangelical, and journals of independent denominations which profess evangelical faith (especially the Southern Baptist Convention and Churches of Christ). The three major periodicals are the Baptist Standard (published by the Baptist General Convention of Texas), United Evangelical Action (National Association of Evangelicals), and Christianity Today (independent evangelical journal).