Davis, Rebecca L. Public Confessions: The Religious Conversions That Changed American Politics. University of North Carolina Press, 2021.
Professor Rebecca L. Davis published her new book, Public Confessions: The Religious Conversions That Changed American Politics (UNC Press, 2021).
Her study explores the way in which mid-twentieth-century American notable figures’ private religious choices became “lightning rods for public outrage and debate.” Scrutinizing the controversial religious conversions of Clare Boothe Luce, Whittaker Chambers, Marilyn Monroe, and Chuck Colson, the author writes that their unconventional religious choices paved new ways of coming to terms with an “authentic” American identity in the Cold War era.
To celebrate the publication of Public Confessions, Professor Davis had a virtual book launch to talk about her project with historian Kristen Kobes Dumez in October.
The book launch event was organized by the University of Delaware, University of North Carolina Press, and Swarthmore Campus and Community Store. (Screenshot by Sarah Wasserman)
Click here to get directed to the UNC Press site: https://uncpress.org/book/9781469664873/public-confessions/