Peaceful Conquest

A century after his presidency, Woodrow Wilson remains one of the most compelling and complicated figures ever to occupy the Oval Office. A political outsider, Wilson brought to the presidency a distinctive, strongly held worldview, built on powerful religious traditions that informed his idea of America and its place in the world.With A Peaceful Conquest, Cara Lea Burnidge presents the most detailed analysis yet of how Wilson s religious beliefs affected his vision of American foreign policy, with repercussions that lasted into the Cold War and beyond. Framing Wilson s intellectual development in relationship to the national religious landscape, and paying greater attention to the role of religion than in previous scholarship, Burnidge shows how Wilson s blend of Southern evangelicalism and social Christianity became a central part of how America saw itself in the world, influencing seemingly secular policy decisions in subtle, lasting ways. Ultimately, Burnidge makes a case for Wilson s religiosity as one of the key drivers of the emergence of the public conception of America s unique, indispensable role in international relations.As the presidential election cycle once again raises questions of America s place in the world, A Peaceful Conquest offers a fascinating excavation of its little-known roots.