Religion in the Oval Office: The Religious Lives of American Presidents
Gary Scott Smith
Published:
2015
Online ISBN:
9780199391424
Print ISBN:
9780199391394
Contents
- < Previous chapter
- Next chapter >
Religion in the Oval Office: The Religious Lives of American Presidents
Gary Scott Smith
Chapter
Get access
Gary Scott Smith
Pages
159–195
-
Published:
March 2015
- Annotate
Cite Icon Cite
Cite
Smith, Gary Scott, 'William McKinley: America as God’s Instrument', Religion in the Oval Office: The Religious Lives of American Presidents (
Close
Search
Close
Search
Advanced Search
Search Menu
Abstract
William McKinley, Jr.’s devout evangelical faith powerfully affected his life. After a conversion experience as a youth, he regularly worshipped in Methodist churches, prayed and read the Bible daily, often testified to his faith, and consistently followed Christian moral norms. One of America’s most intensely religious presidents, McKinley enthusiastically supported missions and insisted that God directed history and his own life. As president, he habitually sought God’s guidance in making decisions and devising policies. His decisions to declare war against Spain in 1898 and to take control of the Philippines were strongly influenced by his faith. While most American religious leaders strongly supported McKinley’s policies toward Spain, Cuba, and the Philippines, critics fault him for not properly distinguishing between piety and patriotism and for arguing that America’s actions served God’s purposes. McKinley’s death evoked an outpouring of theological reflection, spiritual anguish, and praise for his Christian character and conviction.
Keywords: William McKinley, faith, Methodist churches, missions, war against Spain, Cuba, the Philippines, character
Subject
History of Religion
Collection: Oxford Scholarship Online
You do not currently have access to this chapter.
Sign in
Get help with access
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
Sign in Register
Institutional access
- Sign in through your institution
- Sign in with a library card Sign in with username/password Recommend to your librarian
Institutional account management
Sign in as administrator
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
- Click Sign in through your institution.
- Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
- When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
- Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
- Click Sign in through society site.
- When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
- Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
- View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
- View the institutional accounts that are providing access.
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing information
Metrics
Metrics
Total Views 83
68 Pageviews
15 PDF Downloads
Since 10/1/2022
| Month: | Total Views: |
|---|---|
| October 2022 | 3 |
| November 2022 | 1 |
| December 2022 | 8 |
| February 2023 | 4 |
| March 2023 | 1 |
| April 2023 | 3 |
| May 2023 | 5 |
| July 2023 | 3 |
| August 2023 | 4 |
| September 2023 | 1 |
| October 2023 | 8 |
| November 2023 | 3 |
| December 2023 | 5 |
| January 2024 | 12 |
| February 2024 | 8 |
| March 2024 | 8 |
| April 2024 | 6 |
Citations
Powered by Dimensions
Altmetrics
More from Oxford Academic
Arts and Humanities
History of Religion
Religion
Books
Journals
