by Concordia College students in History 112HU, Fall 2016
Churches & the Cold War
*Year of rephotagraph is 2016.
Religion has often played an integral role in shaping the history of the United States. One need only look to the cities of Fargo-Moorhead, and the vast number of churches they contain, to observe its lasting impact on community members. However, the continued role of churches in society does not mean that these institutions have gone unchanged; rather, the social and political landscape of each era had a hand in shaping the perspectives of their congregants, causing physical changes to the buildings, in turn. By analyzing a rephotograph of St. John Lutheran Church in Fargo, significant changes to the building can be seen; the roots of these changes stem from a rapid influx of church members, which can be tied to a shift in religious attitudes during the Cold War.
During the years of the Great Depression, church attendance declined. Following World War II, the country found renewed hope in a return to normalcy, only to be quickly confronted by the possibility of nuclear war.(1) This new period of anxiety led to a religious revival against communism and the Soviet Union. During this time, Americans struggled to identify the role that politics and religion would play in this conflict. Under President Truman, the US began to see itself as a righteous, moral country that was fighting against the threat of immoral communism which threatened Western civilization.(2) Evangelicals such as Billy Graham quickly picked up the message, and prompted massive crowds to join churches. The impact of these influential speakers was felt across the country. By 1960, church membership in the nation had risen to 65%. (3) Money for church construction also rose from $26 million in 1945 to $615 million in 1960.(4) These changes signify that patriotism became increasingly intertwined with Christianity; any citizens who publicly expressed atheistic views were at risk of being branded a supporter of communism. Because of this, it is difficult to ascertain whether this apparent increase in piety was legitimate, or whether people were just going through the motions. For some of the new faces in the congregation, attending church was not so much an act of faith, but rather an obligation, similar to other social organizations like Rotary or the PTA. Coincidentally, those memberships also rose during the same time period.(5)
In response to the religious aspect of the Cold War, many churches had to make renovations to accommodate the rapid increase of congregants. St. John Lutheran, for example, had its first services in its current location in the winter of 1956; however, by the fall of the following year, the church received such an influx of new members that it had to add a second service.(6) Just a few years later, in 1963, a new education building was constructed to provide religious instruction to the growing number of young children and their families. (7) These changes occurred during a crucial time when the role of religion in public schools was being shaped by a series of Supreme Court cases, specifically regarding religious education and prayer in schools.(8) Their rulings that prayer and Bible study were unconstitutional on school grounds augmented the church’s role in the instruction of their community.
The 1980s and the renewed Cold War tensions spurred further change in churches across the country. This was in part because influential politicians, especially Ronald Reagan, were adamant that the same religious attitudes that had sustained them decades before would do the same again. “I’m accused of being simplistic at times...but within [the Bible] are all the answers to all the problems that face us,” he said.(9) Once again, congregations were charged with making space for new members. St. John Lutheran was no exception. Experiencing another significant rise in membership, St. John Lutheran made the decision to renovate their sanctuary. This included replacing the old pews, pulpit, and baptismal font, as well as redoing the roof and adding some circular windows.(10) Because of this and other renovations, the photograph of the church in 1956 and the one today look drastically different.
Religion played a significant role in the Cold War. It allowed American citizens to once again take comfort that God was on their side in a narrative against good and evil, Christianity and atheism, communism and democracy. It allowed for political leaders to combine their agenda and policies with their religious beliefs, forming a new kind of patriotism. Most importantly, the religious aspect of the Cold War offered the opportunity for churches to expand and grow their institutions, which is what prompted the changes evident in the rephotograph of St. John Lutheran Church.
by Hannah Papenfuss
Photo Credits
Historical: 1956. St. John Lutheran Church, Fargo.
Rephotograph: Photograph by Larry Papenfuss
Footnotes: