Paul Kengor: A Truthful Gentleman
Sometimes it just seems like nobody can call a spade a spade anymore. Sometimes it seems like conservatives are forced to vent their woes in venues far off the beaten path.
But Paul Kengor is different. Paul Kengor unabashedly asserts that Reagan and Catholics won the Cold War. If anyone could prove it, Kengor could.
The western Pennsylvanian currently lives in Grove City with his wife Susan and their four children. His resume, of course, is impressive. The political science professor of Grove City College has authored numerous books and articles.
Kengor’s most famous book, God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life, explores the effect of Christianity on Reagan’s worldview and policies as the President. The book mixes faith with history to reveal a side of the great president ignored by many history books. The result was an acclaimed work that allowed the reader to show the soul behind the legacy.
God and George W. Bush: A Spiritual Life received similar praise; it reached #2 on Amazon.com’s non-fiction list. Kengor retraces Bush’s history and focuses on how the man transformed. Unlike the majority of current books dealing with Bush, Kengor strays away from bias (either positive or negative) and focuses on analyzing the history itself. He shows how Bush’s spiritual emphasis on love relates to Bush’s openness to other faiths.
On a similar note (albeit on the opposite side of the political spectrum), Hillary Clinton and God: A Spiritual Life shows how Clinton’s spiritual views have fluctuated over the years until arriving at her current state. With painstaking research into her past, Kengor shows her remarkable political evolution into one of the leading members of the Democrat Party from her strict Methodist upbringing. He also drew several interesting conclusions from her history—including that she would presumably seek pastoral guidance were she ever became president.
He has also written The Crusader: Ronald Reagan & the Fall of Communism, which focuses on Reagan’s epic struggle against Communism. He cites thousands of recently declassified documents from both sides in the Cold War. Paul Kengor invites the reader into both Washington’s and Moscow’s inner circles to show how Reagan brought the bitter conflict to an end.
His most recent book, The Judge: William P. Clark, Ronald Regan’s Top Hand (coauthored with Patricia Clark Doerner) zeroes in on an essential advisor to Reagan. The book profiles and analyzes Bill Clark, at one time known as the second most powerful man in Washington. This book has been endorsed by Reagan’s son Michael, former Cap Weinberger (a former Secretary of Defense), President George H. W. Bush, and President Jimmy Carter.
Dr. Kengor also serves as a frequent columnist for Townhall.com, a well-respected conservative website. He’s been published or quoted in newspapers across the nation like New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Herald, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and many more. Kengor has worked with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., and been cited by major television networks like MSNBC, C-SPAN, and Fox News Channel. He has spoken at Patrick Henry College, the College of William & Mary, the National Presbyterian Church, the U.S. Capitol Building, the Reagan Library, “The O’Reilly Factor,” and “Tony Snow Live.” On a more personal level, Dr. Kengor is a devout Catholic and a diehard fan of Pittsburgh sports teams.
But what stands out most about Dr. Kengor in reading interviews, columns and articles (I have yet to see one of his books in the Wabash library), is his remarkably sound conservatism. Kengor writes candidly, explaining complex or weighty truths without sugarcoating his message. The man believes in the simple, profound truth of conservatism and isn’t afraid to propagate it. Conservatives around campus will quickly trust the man. If he’s asked a question he can’t answer (or won’t), he’ll say as much. If he can show that a liberal senator tried to undermine Reagan’s policies by under-the-table dealings with Communists, then he will. Paul Kengor is the epitome of a classic conservative imbued with a liberal base of knowledge. He is both a knowledgeable and enjoyable speaker and writer.
When he comes to Wabash on October 14th, Kengor will be speaking on “How Ronald Reagan and the Catholic Church Won the Cold War.” He’s written several books on the subject of Reagan and the Cold-War era, the most recent being The Judge: William P. Clark, Ronald Reagan’s Top Hand. In an interview with Carl Olson, Kengor’s asserts that Clark “was the single most important Catholic in the fall of the Soviet Union, next to only Pope John Paul II.” He adds, “That’s quite a statement, but it is easy to defend.”
This sort of large claim, backed by undeniably sound proof, defines Kengor’s writing. The man doesn’t shy away from reporting sensitive or controversial facts. But he’s also careful to legitimize these facts by removing his natural bias (or acknowledging the bias’ presence) and contextualizing the information to avoid any partisan issues. Paul Kengor shows that conservatism has been the right choice throughout history—especially during the Cold War.
Kengor’s work in connecting Reagan’s subtle but strong faith shows a passionate dedication to research. Though Reagan declined over the years in public religious activities, Kengor clearly documents how the president’s faith only grew. Kengor cites frequent references to his Christian faith and shows how this faith inspired Reagan in a crusade against Communism. Kengor’s work mirrors Reagan’s famous challenge at Notre Dame: “It is time for the world to know our intellectual and spiritual values are rooted in the source of all strength, a belief in a Supreme Being, and a law higher than our own.” Kengor connects Reagan’s being both on an intellectual and spiritual level; the result is staggering.
Kengor effectively destroyed the once widely held position that Reagan fortuitously stumbled through the Cold War. He outlined Reagan’s elaborate strategy by piecing together declassified documents, speeches, and memoirs. Reagan focused on transcending communism via the United States’ economic, technological, and military superiority. In the words of Reagan, “We win and they lose.” Eventually, this movement gained such force that Senator Ted Kennedy conceded at Reagan’s funeral, “On foreign policy, [President Reagan] will be honored as the president who won the Cold War…” This was the same senator who had conspired with the KGB against Reagan’s policies during the Cold War. In Kengor’s The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism, a letter from Viktor Chebrikov, head of the KGB, to Yuri Andropov shows a proposal by Kennedy. Kennedy suggested that Andropov (notorious for “the destruction of dissent in all its forms”) work with the American media to counter Reagan’s propaganda. In the letter, the senator is alleged to have blamed deteriorating Soviet-U.S. relations on the President himself. The case for Reagan as a brilliant crusader for democracy must have been a strong one indeed for such a senator to change his stance.
Of course, as a conservative and Reagan fan myself, I’ve always believed that the end of the Cold War was a byproduct of Reagan’s sound policies. And as a devoted Christian, I’ve always believed that true Christianity improves the state of any nation. So to hear a well-versed and articulate Ph.D. defend the position should be enjoyable. But that’s just me.
The unfortunate truth about conservatism, as I’ve seen it, has been a casual association between conservatives and ignorance. Of course, Bushisms don’t help this assumption. Perhaps liberals are touting more eloquent leaders, yet this perpetuating myth reveals a profound foolishness. Anyone that gets into the office of the United States must be, to some degree, intelligent. The very nature of the office demands it. And in order for smart people to align themselves with an ideology, they need sufficient motivation to do so. Perhaps listening to Kengor would be an enlightening experience for those who fancy themselves open-minded – and you can ask him tough questions.
As for the rank-and-file Republicans hiding in the woodwork, an essential aspect of conservative ideology is that the common person be well informed on the makings of a democracy. Too often have I watched conservatives make fools of themselves while debating because they lack the proper information. Paul Kengor knows about research, knows about politics, and knows the history. All conservatives would do well to pay attention to Kengor’s dedication to research.
For Wabash men, Kengor exemplifies a gentleman whose work and beliefs coincide. Part of being a consistent gentleman is a commitment to truth. This concept can be applied to any number of areas. Kengor has both researched and spread truth about history. Consider his speech a conservative part of your liberal education.
In our multicultural society, it’s often deemed offensive to suggest that “moral and religious people” are the best type of people for a democratic environment. Absolute truths rarely exist uncontested, so the concept of “faith” remains inaccessible to a growing population. But when people of faith come together against an absolute evil, the results are undeniably historic. Kengor has proven this by painstaking research and analysis. Mark your calendars for October 14, because it will be well worth your time to listen to what Paul Kengor has to say.
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