One of the earliest sources of humanity's religious impulse was severe weather, which ancient peoples attributed to the wrath of storm gods. Enlightenment thinkers derided such beliefs as superstition and predicted they would pass away as humans became more scientifically and theologically sophisticated. But in America, scientific and theological hubris came face-to-face with the tornado, nature's most violent windstorm. Striking the United States more than any other nation, tornadoes have consistently defied scientists' efforts to unlock their secrets. Meteorologists now acknowledge that even the most powerful computers will likely never be able to predict a tornado's precise path. Similarly, tornadoes have repeatedly brought Americans to the outer limits of theology, drawing them into the vortex of such mysteries as how to reconcile suffering with a loving God and whether there is underlying purpose or randomness in the universe. In this groundbreaking history, Peter Thuesen captures the harrowing drama of tornadoes, as clergy, theologians, meteorologists, and ordinary citizens struggle to make sense of these death-dealing tempests. He argues that, in the tornado, Americans experience something that is at once culturally peculiar (the indigenous storm of the national imagination) and religiously primal (the sense of awe before an unpredictable and mysterious power). He also shows that, in an era of climate change, the weather raises the issue of society's complicity in natural disasters. In the whirlwind, Americans confront the question of their own destiny-how much is self-determined and how much is beyond human understanding or control. "One of the greatest strengths of Tornado God is just how well Theusen has interwoven a variety of materials to construct a portrait of American religiosity in the face of violent weather. Each chapter moves back and forth from first-hand accounts of stormy local events to the reflections of those religious thinkers who attempt to place these devastating events into the ongoing intellectual tradition. Theusen's writing is lively and engaging, which further adds to the book." -- Forrest Clingerman, Church History "One of the greatest strengths of Tornado God is just how well Theusen has interwoven a variety of materials to construct a portrait of American religiosity in the face of violent weather" -- Forrest Clingerman, Ohio Northern University, Church History " Tornado God is an innovative, engaging, and important contribution to American cultural, intellectual, and religious history as well as the history of science. Thuesen conveys incredibly complex theological debates, scientific discoveries, and human experiences in lucid prose. Much more than yet another academic book, this is a brilliant, carefully conceived meditation on the varying ways Americans have come to terms with the awe-inspiring, sometimes terrifying world around them." -- T. J. Tomlin, Fides et Historia "A fascinating and beautifully written book...Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers." -- M. A. Granquist, Luther Seminary, CHOICE "Thuesen excels at weaving deeper meaning into riveting stories and using them to speak to larger questions of American religious identity.... Tornado God will appeal to scholars interested in both religion and the history and philosophy of science. It will also resonate with a more general readership wondering how religious belief might be brought to bear on our current moment with regard to the challenges of climate change." -- Anna Holdorf, American Catholic Studies Newsletter "A fascinating and beautifully written book" -- Choice "[Thuesen's] account of Christian evangelicals' response to Katrina perhaps best illustrates how storms can both challenge and affirm long-held beliefs about social difference." -- Public Books " Tornado God offers a masterful and extensively researched history of American theology pragmatically juxtaposed against the specific question of how religious thinkers deal with tragic weather disasters." -- Melissa Jones, National Catholic Reporter "Peter J. Thuesen's insightful and deeply researched Tornado God: American Religion and Violent Weather reveals the many ways severe weather has prompted theological and moral reflection as well as action." -- Randall J. Stephens, Washington Post "[A] superb work of scholarship, distilling a vast array of work on meteorology, theology, and American history. Mr. Thuesen ... has a special interest in violent storms, especially tornadoes, and writes about them with narrative skill." -- Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal " Tornado God offers no easy answers. Nor does it prescribe an 'appropriate' way to think about violent weather. But Thuesen should be commended for illuminating a challenging area of American history in an unusually striking way." -- Patrick Allitt, Christianity Today "[A] stimulating exploration of religio