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The Divine Plan: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Dramatic End of the Cold War
Just six weeks apart in the spring of 1981, Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan took bullets from would-be assassins.
Few realized at the time how close both men came to dying.
Surviving these near-death experiences created a singular bond between the pope and the president that historians have failed to appreciate.
When John Paul II and Reagan met only a year later, they confided to each other a shared that God had spared their lives for a reason.
That reason? To defeat Communism.
In private, Reagan had a name for "The DP"—the Divine Plan.
* * *
It has become fashionable to see the collapse of the Soviet empire as inevitable.
Hardly.
In this riveting book, bestselling author Paul Kengor and writer-director Robert Orlando show what it took to end the Cold leaders who refused to accept that hundreds of millions must suffer under totalitarian Communism.
And no leaders proved more important than the pope and the president.
Two men who seemed to have little in common developed an extraordinary bond—including a spiritual bond between the Catholic pope and Protestant president. And their shared core convictions drove them to confront Communism.
To tell the full story of the dramatic closing act of the Cold War, Kengor and Orlando draw on their exhaustive research and exclusive interviews with more than a dozen experts, including well-known historians Douglas Brinkley, H. W. Brands, Anne Applebaum, Stephen Kotkin, John O'Sullivan, and Craig Shirley; the leading biographer of John Paul II, George Weigel; close Reagan advisers Richard V. Allen and James Rosebush; and Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron.
You can't understand Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan—or how the Cold War came to such a swift and peaceful end—without understanding how much faith they put in the Divine Plan.
Few realized at the time how close both men came to dying.
Surviving these near-death experiences created a singular bond between the pope and the president that historians have failed to appreciate.
When John Paul II and Reagan met only a year later, they confided to each other a shared that God had spared their lives for a reason.
That reason? To defeat Communism.
In private, Reagan had a name for "The DP"—the Divine Plan.
* * *
It has become fashionable to see the collapse of the Soviet empire as inevitable.
Hardly.
In this riveting book, bestselling author Paul Kengor and writer-director Robert Orlando show what it took to end the Cold leaders who refused to accept that hundreds of millions must suffer under totalitarian Communism.
And no leaders proved more important than the pope and the president.
Two men who seemed to have little in common developed an extraordinary bond—including a spiritual bond between the Catholic pope and Protestant president. And their shared core convictions drove them to confront Communism.
To tell the full story of the dramatic closing act of the Cold War, Kengor and Orlando draw on their exhaustive research and exclusive interviews with more than a dozen experts, including well-known historians Douglas Brinkley, H. W. Brands, Anne Applebaum, Stephen Kotkin, John O'Sullivan, and Craig Shirley; the leading biographer of John Paul II, George Weigel; close Reagan advisers Richard V. Allen and James Rosebush; and Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron.
You can't understand Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan—or how the Cold War came to such a swift and peaceful end—without understanding how much faith they put in the Divine Plan.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2019
31 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Paul Kengor
35 books145 followersPaul G. Kengor is an author and professor of political science at Grove City College and the senior director of the Institute for Faith and Freedom, a Grove City College think tank. He is a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace. Kengor has focused much of his work on Ronald Reagan, faith and the presidency, conservative politics, the Cold War, Communism, and Catholicism.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 4, 2021
Could not stop listening to this. Their personalities, spiritual beliefs, assignation attempts, and political destinies brought them together and shaped the world, for the better. They both believed they occupied the jobs/positions they did for a Higher Purpose, for His Divine Plan and as such were accountable to God for what they did. This shared philosophy drew them together and allowed them to work at a level of trust not usual between leaders so diverse.
This book is not a dual biography, i.e., it does not go into very much detail about the lives of President Reagan or Pope John Paul II. Rather, it shows how they saw themselves in the larger world, came to realize their individual personal missions, recognized the same ideals in each other and began to work together for God’s joint purpose, which was to bring down the Marxist machine of the Soviet Union which had exterminated so many millions of people. Sadly today, people have forgotten the dangers of communism, or they think they can have it without it turning like it did in Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Korea, Vietnam, Venezuela and Cuba, indeed wherever it has been tried.
This book is not a dual biography, i.e., it does not go into very much detail about the lives of President Reagan or Pope John Paul II. Rather, it shows how they saw themselves in the larger world, came to realize their individual personal missions, recognized the same ideals in each other and began to work together for God’s joint purpose, which was to bring down the Marxist machine of the Soviet Union which had exterminated so many millions of people. Sadly today, people have forgotten the dangers of communism, or they think they can have it without it turning like it did in Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Korea, Vietnam, Venezuela and Cuba, indeed wherever it has been tried.
March 16, 2019
“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.” Ronald Reagan 1964
Last night I attended the world premiere of the movie based on this book. To say it is powerful is an understatement. Having lived through the events depicted in the documentary I found it fascinating to learn some of the backstory.
I would encourage everyone to see the movie or read the book. The lessons remain valuable today.
Last night I attended the world premiere of the movie based on this book. To say it is powerful is an understatement. Having lived through the events depicted in the documentary I found it fascinating to learn some of the backstory.
I would encourage everyone to see the movie or read the book. The lessons remain valuable today.
June 16, 2019
Our ancestors came here answering a challenge: “We have it in our power to begin the world again.” This is something Americans, Catholics and Poles feel called to do.
It’s evidenced by three June events occurring days apart: a U.S./Polish alliance, former President Bill Clinton’s Warsaw remarks and the release of the new book, The Divine Plan:
-President Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda met at the White House June 12, signing a historic pact moving 1,000 U.S. troops from Germany to Poland along with the latest weapons, a massive win-win for U.S. and Polish foreign policy.
For most of their histories, Russia has posed a threat to Poland and since the Russians annexed Crimea in 2014, 60 percent of Poles have worried about Russians invading Poland again. That possibility seems far less likely with U.S. troops in Poland. The deal is also a big win for the United States for multiple reasons.
The joint event, which included prominent political and media leaders from Michigan Polonia, included a “fly over’’ of the new fighter jets. Poland was one of the first nations President Trump visited after winning the White House and he said he would likely make a return trip there in September.
- Former President Bill Clinton, addressing the Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL) conference in Warsaw the very next day, noted Poland has tripled its GDP since being liberated from communism and ranks sixth in the European Union: “The whole world admires you, we need you much more than ever before… You can be the leader of Europe and take it to a completely different place."
-The Divine Plan, released June 10, by historian Paul Kengor and film director/writer Robert Orlando, explores the miraculous work of Ronald Reagan and St. John Paul the Great to win the Cold War, examining how Poland was “the linchpin’’ to make it all happen. A companion film was previewed at the St. John Paul the Great Shrine Chapel at Orchard Lake, Michigan in March and will be released nationally this fall. Some revelations from the new book include:
- Russian Plan to kill a pope. The authors, building on Kengor’s earlier research, present compelling evidence that the Soviets were behind the May 13, 1981 attempt to kill the pope. But St. John Paul told the first Bush administration he didn’t want those details released “yet.’’
-Katyn revealed. John Paul instead wanted Mikhail Gorbachev to first admit (he did) that the Soviets executed more than 22,000 Polish leaders during the 1940 Katyn Forest Massacre. For decades, the truth had been buried. Gorbachev admitted and released documents in 1990.
- At the gate. When John Paul was shot, he nearly crossed to the other side but “At the very moment I fell, I had this vivid presentment that I should be saved.” It was actually a miracle that both Reagan and John Paul, shot six weeks apart and gravely wounded, both survived. Each were within an inch of bleeding to death.
- Greatest moral authority. Gorbachev introduced his atheist wife to John Paul II by saying “I have the honor to present the greatest moral authority on earth and he’s a Slav like us.” The remark was telling because Gorbachev acknowledged the pope’s leading moral role as well as the fact Russians and Poles are Slavic siblings.
-St. Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa told Reagan “you have suffered the passion of the cross and have received grace. There is a purpose to this… Because of your suffering and pain you will now understand the suffering and pain of the world.”
- The Liberating Force of Suffering. Two months after the Germans and Russians invaded Poland, on November 2, 1939, John Paul wrote about “the liberating force of suffering. It is on suffering that Christ’s system rests, beginning with the cross and ending with the smallest human torment.”
As a young college student, John Paul explained God: “He is Harmony. I look and see: He balances all.” This echoed Reagan’s belief that everything happens for a reason and eventually works out for the best.
- After World War II, John Paul wrote a “masterpiece’’ play where he described a “greater freedom,” concluding “generally speaking, the essence of man is in his historical inexhaustibility.”
-Reagan aide James Rosebush, who was with Reagan when he met JPII, said Reagan met the saint and “was infused with a degree of enthusiasm, an inspiration that was beyond what I think he even expected.” While a 1979 New York Times editorial totally missed the transformative impact of John Paul’s return to Poland, Lech Walesa said, “He comes to Poland and the 20 who followed me were suddenly 10 million. It was a greater multiplication than the loaves and the fishes.”
Rosebush said JPII “had an ability to hold your hand and look you in your eyes with this piercing discernment and love that was indescribable for me, and I’m not even Catholic... I knew the president was dealing with someone who was functioning on the same level, someone who had the same degree of spiritual discernment that Reagan has as well, someone who knew that he had an hourly, minute, moment by moment walk with God.”
Just four days after JPII shot, Reagan was already set to give the commencement at Notre Dame University, which became a prophetic speech. Reagan predicted:
“The West won’t contain Communism, it will transcend Communism… it will dismiss it as some bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written…’’ Reagan turned to JPII, quoting his words on mercy and justice where he warned “against certain economic theories that use the rhetoric of class struggle to justify injustice… In the name of an alleged justice... the neighbor is sometimes destroyed, killed, deprived of liberty or stripped of fundamental human rights... It is time for the world to know our intellectual and spiritual values are rooted in the source of all strengths, a belief in a Supreme Being, and a law higher than our own… History will ask — and our answer (will) determine the fate of freedom for a thousand years - Did a nation born of hope lose hope?’’
It’s evidenced by three June events occurring days apart: a U.S./Polish alliance, former President Bill Clinton’s Warsaw remarks and the release of the new book, The Divine Plan:
-President Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda met at the White House June 12, signing a historic pact moving 1,000 U.S. troops from Germany to Poland along with the latest weapons, a massive win-win for U.S. and Polish foreign policy.
For most of their histories, Russia has posed a threat to Poland and since the Russians annexed Crimea in 2014, 60 percent of Poles have worried about Russians invading Poland again. That possibility seems far less likely with U.S. troops in Poland. The deal is also a big win for the United States for multiple reasons.
The joint event, which included prominent political and media leaders from Michigan Polonia, included a “fly over’’ of the new fighter jets. Poland was one of the first nations President Trump visited after winning the White House and he said he would likely make a return trip there in September.
- Former President Bill Clinton, addressing the Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL) conference in Warsaw the very next day, noted Poland has tripled its GDP since being liberated from communism and ranks sixth in the European Union: “The whole world admires you, we need you much more than ever before… You can be the leader of Europe and take it to a completely different place."
-The Divine Plan, released June 10, by historian Paul Kengor and film director/writer Robert Orlando, explores the miraculous work of Ronald Reagan and St. John Paul the Great to win the Cold War, examining how Poland was “the linchpin’’ to make it all happen. A companion film was previewed at the St. John Paul the Great Shrine Chapel at Orchard Lake, Michigan in March and will be released nationally this fall. Some revelations from the new book include:
- Russian Plan to kill a pope. The authors, building on Kengor’s earlier research, present compelling evidence that the Soviets were behind the May 13, 1981 attempt to kill the pope. But St. John Paul told the first Bush administration he didn’t want those details released “yet.’’
-Katyn revealed. John Paul instead wanted Mikhail Gorbachev to first admit (he did) that the Soviets executed more than 22,000 Polish leaders during the 1940 Katyn Forest Massacre. For decades, the truth had been buried. Gorbachev admitted and released documents in 1990.
- At the gate. When John Paul was shot, he nearly crossed to the other side but “At the very moment I fell, I had this vivid presentment that I should be saved.” It was actually a miracle that both Reagan and John Paul, shot six weeks apart and gravely wounded, both survived. Each were within an inch of bleeding to death.
- Greatest moral authority. Gorbachev introduced his atheist wife to John Paul II by saying “I have the honor to present the greatest moral authority on earth and he’s a Slav like us.” The remark was telling because Gorbachev acknowledged the pope’s leading moral role as well as the fact Russians and Poles are Slavic siblings.
-St. Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa told Reagan “you have suffered the passion of the cross and have received grace. There is a purpose to this… Because of your suffering and pain you will now understand the suffering and pain of the world.”
- The Liberating Force of Suffering. Two months after the Germans and Russians invaded Poland, on November 2, 1939, John Paul wrote about “the liberating force of suffering. It is on suffering that Christ’s system rests, beginning with the cross and ending with the smallest human torment.”
As a young college student, John Paul explained God: “He is Harmony. I look and see: He balances all.” This echoed Reagan’s belief that everything happens for a reason and eventually works out for the best.
- After World War II, John Paul wrote a “masterpiece’’ play where he described a “greater freedom,” concluding “generally speaking, the essence of man is in his historical inexhaustibility.”
-Reagan aide James Rosebush, who was with Reagan when he met JPII, said Reagan met the saint and “was infused with a degree of enthusiasm, an inspiration that was beyond what I think he even expected.” While a 1979 New York Times editorial totally missed the transformative impact of John Paul’s return to Poland, Lech Walesa said, “He comes to Poland and the 20 who followed me were suddenly 10 million. It was a greater multiplication than the loaves and the fishes.”
Rosebush said JPII “had an ability to hold your hand and look you in your eyes with this piercing discernment and love that was indescribable for me, and I’m not even Catholic... I knew the president was dealing with someone who was functioning on the same level, someone who had the same degree of spiritual discernment that Reagan has as well, someone who knew that he had an hourly, minute, moment by moment walk with God.”
Just four days after JPII shot, Reagan was already set to give the commencement at Notre Dame University, which became a prophetic speech. Reagan predicted:
“The West won’t contain Communism, it will transcend Communism… it will dismiss it as some bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written…’’ Reagan turned to JPII, quoting his words on mercy and justice where he warned “against certain economic theories that use the rhetoric of class struggle to justify injustice… In the name of an alleged justice... the neighbor is sometimes destroyed, killed, deprived of liberty or stripped of fundamental human rights... It is time for the world to know our intellectual and spiritual values are rooted in the source of all strengths, a belief in a Supreme Being, and a law higher than our own… History will ask — and our answer (will) determine the fate of freedom for a thousand years - Did a nation born of hope lose hope?’’
July 19, 2021
A 6 hour and 20 minute unabridged audiobook
Having watched the documentary movie version of this book, and enjoying it immensely, I felt I should give the book a shot. Fully expecting it to be a more in depth version of what was in the movie.
If before reading this book you didn't think that President Reagan and Pope JP2 were easily amongst the top 10 persons who orchestrated the fall of Communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, then I dare say you will think that after reading this book. I venture that you will reach that conclusion even if you reach the conclusion that it was all mere coincidence rather than as part of a divine plan/providence.
The author comes out with some theories on who was behind the assassination attempt of Pope JP2, which seem plausible to me.
In other instances he backs up his assertions by citing the works and words of George Weigel, a noted papal biographer, Anne Abblebaum, an expert on the Soviet Union, and Cardinal Dziwisz, a trusted friend of JP2, among others.
I really enjoyed it.
Having watched the documentary movie version of this book, and enjoying it immensely, I felt I should give the book a shot. Fully expecting it to be a more in depth version of what was in the movie.
If before reading this book you didn't think that President Reagan and Pope JP2 were easily amongst the top 10 persons who orchestrated the fall of Communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, then I dare say you will think that after reading this book. I venture that you will reach that conclusion even if you reach the conclusion that it was all mere coincidence rather than as part of a divine plan/providence.
The author comes out with some theories on who was behind the assassination attempt of Pope JP2, which seem plausible to me.
In other instances he backs up his assertions by citing the works and words of George Weigel, a noted papal biographer, Anne Abblebaum, an expert on the Soviet Union, and Cardinal Dziwisz, a trusted friend of JP2, among others.
I really enjoyed it.
January 25, 2020
I was given this book for Christmas and was immediately intrigued because it recounts an era of history that I do not remember (I was a young child) and connects it with a religious sort of spirituality.
Ultimately, I thought the book was worth reading and enjoyable. I knew little about Ronald Reagan and hearing about his life was interested. I also knew very little about the collaboration between Reagan and John Paul regarding their directing of the fall of Communism. I found it highly fascinating and am in awe of how God worked through these two men and others (such as Margaret Thatcher and even Mikhail Gorbachev somewhat unwittingly).
However, having read an in-depth biography of John Paul II, a great deal of the book was information that I already knew and because of this, a great number of sections were stale. This would not be true for you if you are unaware of his life, upbringing, sufferings, and triumphs. It is true universally that the authors spend a great deal of time convincing the reader that the “Divine Plan” is real. This frustrated me as I was far more interested in official historical details, the relationship between Reagan and John Paul, and their correspondance. This book contains few of these sorts of details. It does contain a number of testimonies from theologians and people who were close to Reagan. While these testimonies often spoke of profound truths, they were less satsifying than some of the primary source material that I had hoped to find.
Furthermore, I felt that the authors ended up repeating a lot of their message over and over again - it felt like several times I had already read a sentence before when it was presented as new material. Perhaps the collaboration of the two authors led to a great amount of overlap, but I have not encountered this before and it annoyed me.
Overall I did think the book was a good read, but I feel like I would have been better off just reading about Reagan and John Paul individually - this book is much less a biography than it is a promotion and discussion of God’s plan in the lives of these two influential people.
Ultimately, I thought the book was worth reading and enjoyable. I knew little about Ronald Reagan and hearing about his life was interested. I also knew very little about the collaboration between Reagan and John Paul regarding their directing of the fall of Communism. I found it highly fascinating and am in awe of how God worked through these two men and others (such as Margaret Thatcher and even Mikhail Gorbachev somewhat unwittingly).
However, having read an in-depth biography of John Paul II, a great deal of the book was information that I already knew and because of this, a great number of sections were stale. This would not be true for you if you are unaware of his life, upbringing, sufferings, and triumphs. It is true universally that the authors spend a great deal of time convincing the reader that the “Divine Plan” is real. This frustrated me as I was far more interested in official historical details, the relationship between Reagan and John Paul, and their correspondance. This book contains few of these sorts of details. It does contain a number of testimonies from theologians and people who were close to Reagan. While these testimonies often spoke of profound truths, they were less satsifying than some of the primary source material that I had hoped to find.
Furthermore, I felt that the authors ended up repeating a lot of their message over and over again - it felt like several times I had already read a sentence before when it was presented as new material. Perhaps the collaboration of the two authors led to a great amount of overlap, but I have not encountered this before and it annoyed me.
Overall I did think the book was a good read, but I feel like I would have been better off just reading about Reagan and John Paul individually - this book is much less a biography than it is a promotion and discussion of God’s plan in the lives of these two influential people.
August 7, 2020
"We can accomplish anything if we don't concern ourselves with who gets the credit." Ronald Reagan's Maxim #1
Both Reagan and Pope John Paul II both felt that they had a strong faith in God's Divine Plan and how it manifested in their lives. They both called it DP, short for The Divine Plan. Most historians have underestimated the importance and depth of the Divine Plan.
Wojtyla grew up in Poland under Soviet rule. He was part of the underground resistance and had an up close and personal view of how the system functioned. Becoming the first pope from Poland probably never entered his mind. The background as to how that came to be is amazing, must be DP.
Reagan grew up in small town America with a perspective implanted by his mother that God had a plan for young Ronald's life.
Pope John Paul often described the "idolatry" of freedom, a near worship of freedom for its own sake. Freedom should not be treated as the highest end, or virtue, is how one acts with the gift of freedom. Freedom comes with a moral responsibility insisted on by the Author of Life and Liberty. Moreover, no system or regime should deprive people of the freedom bequeathed by a loving God. p. 48
For us today in 2020 this quote is something to think about. "Freedom is not just what I want to do. Freedom is a matter of doing the right thing and doing that as a matter of habit. That's a genuinely human freedom." p. 47
I found this short book riveting. Yes, there are many times when the same thing is repeated, but I figure that just cemented it in my brain.
This story does not give you the entire scope of the struggle for freedom in Poland. It was dangerous, brutal, and downright nasty. People died, went hungry, were tortured and struggled to stay alive during this time of struggle for freedom.
"We must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race." Winston Churchill
Would highly recommend this book and Natan Sharansky's Case for Democracy to any high school student at this time in our history.
Both Reagan and Pope John Paul II both felt that they had a strong faith in God's Divine Plan and how it manifested in their lives. They both called it DP, short for The Divine Plan. Most historians have underestimated the importance and depth of the Divine Plan.
Wojtyla grew up in Poland under Soviet rule. He was part of the underground resistance and had an up close and personal view of how the system functioned. Becoming the first pope from Poland probably never entered his mind. The background as to how that came to be is amazing, must be DP.
Reagan grew up in small town America with a perspective implanted by his mother that God had a plan for young Ronald's life.
Pope John Paul often described the "idolatry" of freedom, a near worship of freedom for its own sake. Freedom should not be treated as the highest end, or virtue, is how one acts with the gift of freedom. Freedom comes with a moral responsibility insisted on by the Author of Life and Liberty. Moreover, no system or regime should deprive people of the freedom bequeathed by a loving God. p. 48
For us today in 2020 this quote is something to think about. "Freedom is not just what I want to do. Freedom is a matter of doing the right thing and doing that as a matter of habit. That's a genuinely human freedom." p. 47
I found this short book riveting. Yes, there are many times when the same thing is repeated, but I figure that just cemented it in my brain.
This story does not give you the entire scope of the struggle for freedom in Poland. It was dangerous, brutal, and downright nasty. People died, went hungry, were tortured and struggled to stay alive during this time of struggle for freedom.
"We must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race." Winston Churchill
Would highly recommend this book and Natan Sharansky's Case for Democracy to any high school student at this time in our history.
Read
November 28, 2025Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan were kindred spirits. Both men were profoundly affected by assassination attempts in 1981 which deepened their spiritual convictions and strengthened their resolve to confront the Soviet Union. They challenged totalitarianism, supported religious freedom, and promoted human dignity across the globe.
The book emphasizes “Theodrama” which uses theatrical metaphors to explain the "drama" between God and our lives/history. God is the playwright and individuals can find their purpose by participating in God's plan. This contrasts with an "ego-drama" where people believe they are the stars, writers, and directors of their own lives. Pope and President were experienced actors, comfortable on stage, excellent communicators, aware of selling their message.
Karol Wojtyla exposed to Communism growing up in Poland. Reagan was exposed to the dangers of Communists in Hollywood’s McCarthy era.
Reagan, after his assassination, leaves the hospital, then writes in his diary: Whatever happens now I owe my life to God and will try to serve Him in every way I can. Faith must express itself in action
Pope John Paul II desired to be an instrument of God, to cooperate with God’s Divine Will, which is to love.
Mikhail Gorbachev is quoted, “I am convinced it is God’s will that we should cooperate.” 3 of four grandparents were Orthodox Christians! Gorbachev opened Russia with his Glasnost (openness to civil liberties) and Perestroika (reform and restructuring economy) policies.
Totalitarianism / Collectivism emphasizes the importance of the group/state over the individual, absolute state control over all aspects of society, including economy, education, media, social clubs, and personal life. Oppresses and suppresses individuality, dissent, and democratic freedoms to enforce conformity to the state's will.
The Hitler-Stalin Pact, signed by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union on August 23, 1939. Publicly, the pact pledged that neither country would attack the other for 10 years, but a secret protocol secretly divided Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence, which paved the way for Germany's invasion of western Poland just days later. Nine days later, the Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland then the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) and parts of Romania. The alliance ended when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941.
The book states that we can prevail over the forces of evil. We must! The Pope and the President didn’t lament over while evil exists but rather they take action! Both believed, as conveyed in Dante’s Divine Comedy: “In His will is our peace!”
Why is freedom important? What is freedom for? How is it to be used wisely? Freedom is the power and to seek truth and goodness. Thus is an essential requirement of human dignity. God’s gift of free will means He gave us full power over our own faculties and to make choices thus we shape our own lives and are fully responsible for the path we take. Freedom is not license to do whatever one wants.
The book encouraged me to research the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, occurring in November 1989. It also motivated me to research Russian Gulag camps and the Yalta Agreement of 1945.
The book is full of interesting history and I enjoyed the book more than I enjoyed reading it, if that makes sense. The writing was somewhat repetitive and more academic than typical literature.
The book emphasizes “Theodrama” which uses theatrical metaphors to explain the "drama" between God and our lives/history. God is the playwright and individuals can find their purpose by participating in God's plan. This contrasts with an "ego-drama" where people believe they are the stars, writers, and directors of their own lives. Pope and President were experienced actors, comfortable on stage, excellent communicators, aware of selling their message.
Karol Wojtyla exposed to Communism growing up in Poland. Reagan was exposed to the dangers of Communists in Hollywood’s McCarthy era.
Reagan, after his assassination, leaves the hospital, then writes in his diary: Whatever happens now I owe my life to God and will try to serve Him in every way I can. Faith must express itself in action
Pope John Paul II desired to be an instrument of God, to cooperate with God’s Divine Will, which is to love.
Mikhail Gorbachev is quoted, “I am convinced it is God’s will that we should cooperate.” 3 of four grandparents were Orthodox Christians! Gorbachev opened Russia with his Glasnost (openness to civil liberties) and Perestroika (reform and restructuring economy) policies.
Totalitarianism / Collectivism emphasizes the importance of the group/state over the individual, absolute state control over all aspects of society, including economy, education, media, social clubs, and personal life. Oppresses and suppresses individuality, dissent, and democratic freedoms to enforce conformity to the state's will.
The Hitler-Stalin Pact, signed by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union on August 23, 1939. Publicly, the pact pledged that neither country would attack the other for 10 years, but a secret protocol secretly divided Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence, which paved the way for Germany's invasion of western Poland just days later. Nine days later, the Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland then the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) and parts of Romania. The alliance ended when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941.
The book states that we can prevail over the forces of evil. We must! The Pope and the President didn’t lament over while evil exists but rather they take action! Both believed, as conveyed in Dante’s Divine Comedy: “In His will is our peace!”
Why is freedom important? What is freedom for? How is it to be used wisely? Freedom is the power and to seek truth and goodness. Thus is an essential requirement of human dignity. God’s gift of free will means He gave us full power over our own faculties and to make choices thus we shape our own lives and are fully responsible for the path we take. Freedom is not license to do whatever one wants.
The book encouraged me to research the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, occurring in November 1989. It also motivated me to research Russian Gulag camps and the Yalta Agreement of 1945.
The book is full of interesting history and I enjoyed the book more than I enjoyed reading it, if that makes sense. The writing was somewhat repetitive and more academic than typical literature.
May 23, 2020
Serendipitously read this last week. Monday was Pope John Paul II's 100th birthday!
This is a great book to read with a glass of wine while pausing to ponder! Lots of good quotes and amazing historical details from the lives of President Reagan and St. Pope John Paul II. Mother Teresa and Margaret Thatcher also make appearances.
The book is based on many interviews, including Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Barren and various political insiders. There are also brief references to Scott Hahn, CS Lewis, Fulton Sheen and Peter Kreeft. It is a positive and intriguing view of faith and politics. Uplifting and inspirational! It has softened some of my built-up inherent mistrust of politics and politicians.
I learned a lot of interesting details from the 1980's and the fight against Communism. I was surprised to hear that there were actual Communists in Hollywood; I've only recall hearing disparaging comments and warnings against McCarthyism. Ultimately, this short book felt like an appetizer - just wetting the appetite for this time period and its historical figures. I want to read more about Reagan & the Cold War now! I also want to study the spiritual implications of various governmental systems. What is the difference between fascism, nazism, socialism, and communism? And, I want to seek out more works and plays by St. Pope JPII!
I would own this book. Many great quotes worth repeating! St. Pope JPII had such rich life and was such a source of wisdom. This book inspired me to think about God's will for my life. It is a great book to read with a glass of wine and ponder!
Around page 141, a political insider compared Reagan to St. Pope JPII saying they had the "same degree of spiritual discernment" and were on the same "spiritual plane". Reagan was a divorced protestant from Hollywood who 'almost' studied theology in college. I'm glad to hear he was such a good man and I'm interested to learn more about him. I was happily surprised to see how he surrounded himself with faithful Catholics. BUT, to hold him as equal to a Catholic pope and saint is a bit rich. It strikes me as disrespectful.
It was interesting to read this book after Maria von Trapp's book. Her life's motto was "Thy Will be Done". She was constantly seeking God's will and trying to adapt to it, despite the personal cost and suffering. This book talks about "destiny" and God propelling men to greatness. It felt like the reverse of Maria's experience. St. Pope JPII certainly suffered much in his life, and some of his sufferings directly prepared him for his later roles. But Reagan didn't seem to suffer along the way; at least this book didn't highlight any suffering. His belief in God seemed to propel him forward in a happy protestant way, without causing any suffering or asking anything of him personally. Reading these books so closely, I was struck with the differing perspectives.
This is a great book to read with a glass of wine while pausing to ponder! Lots of good quotes and amazing historical details from the lives of President Reagan and St. Pope John Paul II. Mother Teresa and Margaret Thatcher also make appearances.
The book is based on many interviews, including Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Barren and various political insiders. There are also brief references to Scott Hahn, CS Lewis, Fulton Sheen and Peter Kreeft. It is a positive and intriguing view of faith and politics. Uplifting and inspirational! It has softened some of my built-up inherent mistrust of politics and politicians.
I learned a lot of interesting details from the 1980's and the fight against Communism. I was surprised to hear that there were actual Communists in Hollywood; I've only recall hearing disparaging comments and warnings against McCarthyism. Ultimately, this short book felt like an appetizer - just wetting the appetite for this time period and its historical figures. I want to read more about Reagan & the Cold War now! I also want to study the spiritual implications of various governmental systems. What is the difference between fascism, nazism, socialism, and communism? And, I want to seek out more works and plays by St. Pope JPII!
I would own this book. Many great quotes worth repeating! St. Pope JPII had such rich life and was such a source of wisdom. This book inspired me to think about God's will for my life. It is a great book to read with a glass of wine and ponder!
Around page 141, a political insider compared Reagan to St. Pope JPII saying they had the "same degree of spiritual discernment" and were on the same "spiritual plane". Reagan was a divorced protestant from Hollywood who 'almost' studied theology in college. I'm glad to hear he was such a good man and I'm interested to learn more about him. I was happily surprised to see how he surrounded himself with faithful Catholics. BUT, to hold him as equal to a Catholic pope and saint is a bit rich. It strikes me as disrespectful.
It was interesting to read this book after Maria von Trapp's book. Her life's motto was "Thy Will be Done". She was constantly seeking God's will and trying to adapt to it, despite the personal cost and suffering. This book talks about "destiny" and God propelling men to greatness. It felt like the reverse of Maria's experience. St. Pope JPII certainly suffered much in his life, and some of his sufferings directly prepared him for his later roles. But Reagan didn't seem to suffer along the way; at least this book didn't highlight any suffering. His belief in God seemed to propel him forward in a happy protestant way, without causing any suffering or asking anything of him personally. Reading these books so closely, I was struck with the differing perspectives.
February 15, 2021
The Divine Plan: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Dramatic End of the Cold War by Paul Kengor explores the history, just six weeks apart in the spring of 1981, when Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan took bullets from would-be assassins. When John Paul II and Reagan met only a year later, they confided to each other a shared conviction: that God had spared their lives for a reason: To defeat Communism. In private, Reagan had a name for this: “The DP”—the Divine Plan. While many claim that they saw the collapse of the Soviet empire as inevitable, in reality it took some well-planned strategic nudges to move it along the path to collapse; nudges at the right time and place by Reagan and the Pontiff.
These two men who seemed to have little in common developed an extraordinary bond—including a spiritual bond between the Catholic pope and Protestant president. And their shared core convictions drove them to confront Communism. The author draws on exhaustive research and exclusive interviews with more than a dozen experts, including well-known historians to piece together this behind the scenes story. You can’t understand Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan—or how the Cold War came to such a swift and peaceful end—without understanding how much they had in common including a history in acting. All this and more they put in the Divine Plan to make it ultimately successful.
These two men who seemed to have little in common developed an extraordinary bond—including a spiritual bond between the Catholic pope and Protestant president. And their shared core convictions drove them to confront Communism. The author draws on exhaustive research and exclusive interviews with more than a dozen experts, including well-known historians to piece together this behind the scenes story. You can’t understand Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan—or how the Cold War came to such a swift and peaceful end—without understanding how much they had in common including a history in acting. All this and more they put in the Divine Plan to make it ultimately successful.
March 19, 2023
This book had a big impact on me. The bond that developed between Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II —which developed after both of their attempted assassinations, the close proximity of time and that they survived. Based on their religious and moral compass and common background (both were actors), they believed they must have been saved for a reason— a higher purpose —a Divine Plan…they both believed totalitarianism and authoritarian governments which dehumanized people, did not allow for freedom of expression or freedom to practice religion or simply the freedom to voice an opposing viewpoint, should be taken down. People wanted to be free. So they set out to take down the USSR, starting in Poland without firing a shot.
I am a bleeding liberal and I got a an entirely new perspective on President Reagan who called Pope John Paul II his best friend.
He also met Mother Theresa —she told him he is supposed to do this. It is Providence. President Reagan’s wife, Nancy, started to cry.
There are good people out there. Believe it.
I am a bleeding liberal and I got a an entirely new perspective on President Reagan who called Pope John Paul II his best friend.
He also met Mother Theresa —she told him he is supposed to do this. It is Providence. President Reagan’s wife, Nancy, started to cry.
There are good people out there. Believe it.
February 21, 2024
The Divine Plan is an excellent story about two men that drastically changed the world. Written from eyewitness accounts of the people that best knew these men, The Divine Plan chronicles the lives of both Ronald Reagan and John Paul II, from their youth to their eventual heads of their own countries respectively. Chronicling the awesome downfall of communism and their roles within it and their knowledge that God was leading them in doing so.
February 20, 2022
I really enjoyed this book because it brought the bridge and friendship of the most important leaders since the WWII. The book does not bring many new facts, but establishes the foundations of how these two great men bounded and defeated Communism. I’m glad that I read this book of my favorite president and my favorite person and saint.
June 17, 2021
A great study of the common elements in the lives of Saint Pope John Paul II and Ronald Wilson Reagan. Both men developed a great respect for each other after each of them nearly died by assassins’ bullets a mere six weeks apart. Both men were crucial to dismantling the Soviet Union, playing their parts in the Divine Plan.
August 19, 2021
This book hit me right where I needed it. I was young during this era so I learned quite a bit about both men and how they became leaders. It made me long for the “good old days,” even though I know it’s naive and not true. I long for leaders who are guided by more than just greed and legacy.
January 21, 2025
Pretty good with good moments. However I felt like it was a much shorter version of a Pope and a President and was probably made for only two reasons - 1) to go with the documentary made and 2) to use some updated sources.
Probably one of the weaker books Kengor has done on Reagan, in my opinion
Probably one of the weaker books Kengor has done on Reagan, in my opinion
January 3, 2021
A great book comparing ronald reagan to pope john paul II so many similarities.
September 1, 2024
Great historical book and a great read about two amazing human beings. Very interesting how The Devine Plan ended the Cold War.
May 27, 2020
I liked the quick pace of this book, it was not too heavy, but it does give some flavour of that era. It is easy to forget the general optimism of both men despite the ferocious opposition and fanatical hatred that both inspired. Despite that, both men were not only optimistic but civil and noble in the face of all this. They were truly inspiring.
November 5, 2019
My husband and I saw these authors interviewed last weekend. We know how this event works out. Interesting to see events unfold with a bit of insider information. This is not an earth-shattering book but a nice and easy interaction between all involved. I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.
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