'In God we trust': Religion, the Cold War, and the Eisenhower presidency

This thesis confirms that President Dwight Eisenhower demonstrated his religious faith primarily through consistent references to a Supreme Being and the necessity of a belief in God to properly conduct governmental affairs. His religious rhetoric indicated a pragmatic approach to spirituality. Eisenhower clearly understood the value of religion politically and knew that he would weaken himself as a leader if he completely shunned religion. The Cold War context of the 1950s influenced his frequent contrasts of the God-fearing United States with the atheist Soviet Union. Nevertheless, personal factors were evident as well.;As a whole, Eisenhower and influential members of his administration utilized religiosity as part of winning the Cold War. Morality and goodness became intertwined with a faith in God and confirming American pride. The significance of religion during this period is that it pervaded the rhetoric of Eisenhower and Dulles in both a domestic and international context. By speaking about a faith in God, at times subtly and at times more directly, Eisenhower ensured that the American people and allies of democracy knew that this belief was central to how he felt government should be conducted. Eisenhower and his Secretary of State demonstrated their belief that religious faith was a cornerstone of American democracy through multiple speeches that elaborated on this point. This belief meant that faith in God often became a way to promote policies or justify actions in the midst of the Cold War.