Woodrow Wilson
Ruling Elder, Spiritual President
Barry Hankins
Reviews and Awards
A. Donald MacLeod Award in Presbyterian History
"Hankins' descriptive historicism and concise storytelling make the book accessible to both public audiences and scholars, especially those interested in the relationship between religion and American political history." -- Morgan Frick, The University of Alabama, Religious Studies Review
"The book includes a helpful index (225-35), a selected bibliography (219-23), and recommends itself not only to scholars interested in the U.S. presidency, but also in the manifold interrelations of religion and politics in modernity, which are in such dire needof more substantial research." -- Philipp Reisner, Amst
"All in all, this is an impressive brief biography, easily read by undergraduates as well as scholars in the field. ... Hankin's book is a valuable introduction to Woodrow Wilson's spiritual beliefs and to those of the Progressive Era." -- Hans P. Vought, Fides et Historia
"In this slim and eminently readable volume, Hankins deftly narrates Wilson's 67-year journey from Staunton, Virginia, where he was born in 1856, to Princeton, the White House, and beyond."--Heath W. Carter, The Christian Century
"Essential."--CHOICE
"Hankins, who teaches at Baylor University, has crafted a worthy portrait of the twenty-eighth president, one that portrays Wilson as both profoundly stubborn and thoroughly southern."--Journal of Southern Religion
"Hankins packs a tremendous amount of material into just over two hundred pages of text, inclusive of endnotes. It is impressive, then, how readable this book is, especially in light of its wide-ranging subject matter. Given its relatively brief length, its strong and vivid prose, its concise notes, and the unobtrusiveness of historiographical discussions, this book is certainly suitable for a popular audience with interests in presidential history or in the intersectionality of politics and religion...Hankins s work serves as a model for scholars striving to match a rigorous methodology with an engaging and concise prose style in order to produce a monograph that is rich in its argumentation, historical insights, and a joy to read. "--Reading Religion