As struggles over the global war on terrorism continue to rage, many in the United States and around the world do not understand the course of events that led from September 11, 2001, to the current expanded conflict. In this careful, lucid exploration of the elements in Americas civil religion that have steered the country on its present course, a path to understanding emerges.

A German who has called Europe, Central America, and North America home at various times in his life, Geiko Muller-Fahrenholz has the perspective of an outsider who yet loves the United States, making him uniquely qualified to present a portrait of how the U.S. is perceived throughout the world and how the current religious factor in American politics can look like a pious cloak thrown over national selfishness. He uniquely blends historical, theological, political, and cultural-psychological perspectives, offering a thoughtful, nuanced view of the complex American situation.

In exploring super-patriotism, the lost opportunity of 9/11, and the dangerous clash of fundamentalisms, Muller-Fahrenholz boldly yet empathetically confronts America with its image in the eyes of the world -- and with the urgent need to reevaluate its core values in a global perspective.