Has the tiger changed its stripes? Lutheran responses to the Cold War, fears of internal Communist threats, and the Vietnam War, 1964--1975

Although the Cold and Vietnam Wars affected the United States deeply between 1964 and 1975, few historians outside of diplomatic circles have studied the two phenomena simultaneously; this dissertation fills part of this historiographical gap. The Cold War dominated world diplomacy and forced Americans to live under the constant tension of a possible war. This standoff led the United States into the Vietnam War, which resulted from the United States's continued reliance on containment. Thus, the Vietnam War stemmed from a general fear that communism threatened democracy.; Historians recognize that policymakers were split regarding the domino theory: some questioned it, others believed it did not apply to Vietnam, and still others supported it. But scholars have not explained how other segments of U.S. society debated this policy. To begin filling this gap, this study compares how the Cold and Vietnam Wars affected American Lutheranism. The Lutheran laity and leaders represent "average American" opinions, both from a prowar and antiwar perspective. Lutheran diversity represents far left, radical right, and every other political and theological perspective.; Periodicals and denominational archives serve as this study's main source bases. Periodicals gave Lutherans a forum to disseminate information and provided a place for the laity to debate these issues. Other journals represent smaller groups within Lutheranism that were not recognized by official bodies. And denominational archives contain other sources that reveal the diversity of Lutheran thought regarding the Cold and Vietnam Wars.; This study ultimately concludes that most Lutherans supported the Cold War against the USSR and PRC while simultaneously debating about the Vietnam War and internal Communist threats. It reveals the large number of people who debated the domino theory, demonstrates how public opinion affected foreign policy, and explains how diplomatic affairs profoundly affected Lutheranism during the 1960s and 1970s. In conclusion, it suggests that, although the period under study is usually depicted as a profoundly liberal era in U.S. history, most Americans at the time remained conservative, regardless of their position on the Vietnam War.