Isolationism & God in the Great Debate: Conservative & Progressive Approaches 1939-1941

Abstract

This thesis compares two major non-interventionist groups and examines how they used religion to shape the debate over the US entry into World War II. The two groups represented two different wings of the non-interventionist movement. The debate, which occurred primarily from 1939 to 1941, was led on the non-interventionist side by the (relatively) conservative American First Committee, and the more progressive Keep America Out of War Committee. Using archival material from the Hoover Institution and the Swarthmore Peace Collection, along with other predominantly secondary sources, the thesis traces how the two organizations attempted to mobilize the major American religious blocs of the period to support their cause. The analysis shows that the AFC treated religion as a resource, as it did in other parts of civil society. The AFC integrated general Protestant culture in their organization, while specifically targeting Catholics for outreach, while struggling but not ignoring the Jewish community. The KAOWC drew on progressive Protestant and Jewish networks from before the period to attempt an interfaith coalition, while struggling to reach out to Catholic and Black Protestant churches. The thesis argues that differences in organizational structures, constituencies, and cultural orientation produced distinct religious strategies. Methodologically, the project uses comparative analysis and archival case studies to connect religious strategies to political campaigns.