Hand of Providence

The Strong and Quiet Faith of Ronald Reagan

By: Mary Beth Brown

Narrated by: Chris Fabry

As the nation mourns the tragic loss of our 40th president, a new audiobook offers comfort and healing. Hand of Providence: The Strong and Quiet Faith of Ronald Reagan is an uplifting biography that emphasizes the powerful impact his faith had on his ideas, motives, and actions. According to recent opinion polls, Ronald Reagan is the most popular of modern presidents, and yet to most biographers the man is still an enigma. This is because, as Brown explains, no one has ever focused on this great man's faith.

This book explores the life and personality of Ronald Reagan by focusing on his deep-felt Christian beliefs and showing how faith guided him along his distinguished career and led him to his unprecedented success. With the support of Ronald Reagan's own words and writings and first-hand interviews of Ronald Reagan's family, friends, and co-workers, Brown weaves a magnificent story of Reagan's strong devotion to God that will not only inspire Christians to enter public service and allow their faith to motivate all their actions but also help point others to the Cross of Jesus Christ, a cause that was near and dear to President Reagan's heart.

©2004 Mary Beth Brown (P)2004 Oasis Audio LLC

Enjoyable...

I enjoyed listening to this book, and it was decent enough... but it mostly consists of re-telling Reagan stories that I've heard numerous times before. I enjoyed hearing them again for the nostalgia effect. The big 'twist' to this book is its attempt to spin every seminal event in Reagan's life as having come from the "hand of providence" (God). In some ways, I felt like I was being hit over the head by a 2x4, as the author refused to allow me (the reader) to draw my own conclusions. The author even says in the preface that she hopes that the book will serve as a "witnessing tool" to draw people to Jesus.

I'd say as a bottom line: if you're looking for a more scholarly review of Reagan's religious views and the impact his faith had on his life, read Paul Kengor's "God and Ronald Reagan." If you think the 1980s were the greatest decade of the 20th Century, and you can't possibly get enough of Ronald Reagan, and if you're not too uptight about proselytism, you should enjoy listening to this book.