American Soul (Spring Journal: A Journal of Archetype and Culture)

The relationship between America and Christianity has never been so hotly contested as it is today. September 11, 2001, and the war on terrorism have had an almost schismatic impact on the Church. American Christians have been forced to ask the really hard questions about faith and politics. While some Christians would rather not ask these questions at all, they are unavoidable for a religion that seeks to speak to the whole world, with the expectation of nothing less than global transformation. Like it or not, Christians have to take a stand on the issue of America's alleged imperialism, not only because America is largely a product of the Christian imagination but also because the converse is true -- the growth of Christianity worldwide is largely shaped by American values and ideals.

American Providence makes the case that American Christianity is not an oxymoron. It also argues for a robust doctrine of providence -- a doctrine that has been frequently neglected by American theologians due to their reluctance to claim any special religious status for the United States. Webb goes right to the heart of this reluctance by defending the idea that American foreign policy should be seen as a vehicle of God's design for history.