The Missile Defense Controversy is the first book to cover the ballistic missile controversy from its beginnings in the interservice politics of the Eisenhower fifties to its conclusion in the post-September 11th era. Identifying the cultural factors and specific administrative agendas that have shaped the way we view ballistic missile technology, Ernest J. Yanarella illustrates how pro-missile initiatives reflect America's need to seek the illusion of absolute security, an imperative that grew out of the country's largely Protestant notions about worldly evil and redemption. Three new sections connect our recent, sudden shifts in foreign policy to ongoing historical patterns.