Public Confessions: The Religious Conversions That Changed American Politics

by Rebecca L. Davis

Personal reinvention is a core part of the human condition. Yet in the mid-twentieth century, certain private religious choices became lightning rods for public outrage and debate.

Public Confessions reveals the controversial religious conversions that shaped modern America. Rebecca L. Davis explains why the new faiths of notable figures including Clare Boothe Luce, Whittaker Chambers, Sammy Davis Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali, Chuck Colson, and others riveted the American public. Unconventional religious choices charted new ways of declaring an "authentic" identity amid escalating Cold War fears of brainwashing and coercion. Facing pressure to celebrate a specific vision of Americanism, these converts variously attracted and repelled members of the American public. Whether the act of changing religions was viewed as selfish, reckless, or even unpatriotic, it provoked controversies that ultimately transformed American politics.

Public Confessions takes intimate history to its widest relevance, and in so doing, makes you see yourself in both the private and public stories it tells.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, Politics, American History

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 5, 2021

About the author

Rebecca L. Davis is a professor of history at the University of Delaware. She writes the Carnal Knowledge newsletter and is a co-host of This Is Probably a Really Weird Question, a podcast about sexual health and history.

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2021.

A history of public figures converting in the public realm from the 1940s to the 1970s. Claire Boothe Luce converted to Roman Catholicism in the 1940s. She received praise from some but criticism from Protestants and liberal elites.

The book seems to explain why high profile people converted and reaction to it. There was also a chapter on whether one's conversation was authentic or a result of lies or brainwashing (Muhammad Ali, formally Cassius Clay, was accused of being brainwashed by the Nation of Islam; his father was his biggest accuser).

The book also takes a psychological approach to determine what the new faith meant to the converts and what they gained from it.

It was an interesting read.

[Jeremiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding read! Davis talks about the role of religion, the practice of conversion, and the implications said conversions have on history, access to political power, and public opinion. It’s an incredibly unique look at 20th century American history.

I cannot recommend this book enough, especially given the growing implementation of Christian Nationalist ideals in contemporary politics. (And as someone who studies how Evangelicalism and the process of deconstruction impacts sexual health and long-term relationships.)

Five stars.