Faith and the Presidency From George Washington to George W. BushOxford University Press, 2006 M10 12 - 680 pages In the wake of the 2004 election, pundits were shocked at exit polling that showed that 22% of voters thought 'moral values' was the most important issue at stake. People on both sides of the political divide believed this was the key to victory for George W. Bush, who professes a deep and abiding faith in God. While some fervent Bush supporters see him as a man chosen by God for the White House, opponents see his overt commitment to Christianity as a dangerous and unprecedented bridging of the gap between church and state. In fact, Gary Scott Smith shows, none of this is new. Religion has been a major part of the presidency since George Washington's first inaugural address. Despite the mounting interest in the role of religion in American public life, we actually know remarkably little about the faith of our presidents. Was Thomas Jefferson an atheist, as his political opponents charged? What role did Lincoln's religious views play in his handling of slavery and the Civil War? How did born-again Southern Baptist Jimmy Carter lose the support of many evangelicals? Was George W. Bush, as his critics often claimed, a captive of the religious right? In this fascinating book, Smith answers these questions and many more. He takes a sweeping look at the role religion has played in presidential politics and policies. Drawing on extensive archival research, Smith paints compelling portraits of the religious lives and presidencies of eleven chief executives for whom religion was particularly important. Faith and the Presidency meticulously examines what each of its subjects believed and how those beliefs shaped their presidencies and, in turn, the course of our history. |
From inside the book
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Page 4
... theology strongly smacked of ''the dark ages'' and accused him of ''abandoning all pretense of statesmanship'' and taking ''refuge in piety.''5 The objections of many pundits, politicians, and even some religious leaders to Reagan's and ...
... theology strongly smacked of ''the dark ages'' and accused him of ''abandoning all pretense of statesmanship'' and taking ''refuge in piety.''5 The objections of many pundits, politicians, and even some religious leaders to Reagan's and ...
Page 6
... theology have not corrected this deficiency. Although numerous books explore the presidents' personal piety and use ... theologically astute. A few have been enemies of organized religion who sought to prove that the presidents were not ...
... theology have not corrected this deficiency. Although numerous books explore the presidents' personal piety and use ... theologically astute. A few have been enemies of organized religion who sought to prove that the presidents were not ...
Page 9
... theological convictions or religious perspectives of the presidents. In So Help Me God, Alley divides the presidents ... theologically and/or socially conservative Christian bodies (Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Quaker): Theodore ...
... theological convictions or religious perspectives of the presidents. In So Help Me God, Alley divides the presidents ... theologically and/or socially conservative Christian bodies (Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Quaker): Theodore ...
Page 10
... theological continuums from conservative to liberal. Although he argues that some presidents are hard to categorize because their theological and ideological convictions conflicted (he lists Jefferson and Carter as examples), he ...
... theological continuums from conservative to liberal. Although he argues that some presidents are hard to categorize because their theological and ideological convictions conflicted (he lists Jefferson and Carter as examples), he ...
Page 11
... theological commitments and similar styles of making decisions, ways of relating to religious groups, and use of religious rhetoric. Each administration, however, is unique because of the specific political, economic, social, and ...
... theological commitments and similar styles of making decisions, ways of relating to religious groups, and use of religious rhetoric. Each administration, however, is unique because of the specific political, economic, social, and ...
Contents
3 | |
21 | |
53 | |
Saving the Last Best Hope of Earth | 91 |
4 Theodore Roosevelt and the Bully Pulpit | 129 |
Presbyterian Statesman | 159 |
6 Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Quest to Achieve an Abundant Life | 191 |
7 Dwight David Eisenhower Dynamic Conservatism and the Religious Revival of the 1950s | 221 |
The First Catholic President | 259 |
First Servant of the Nation | 293 |
Making America Gods Shining City on a Hill | 325 |
A FaithBased Presidency | 365 |
Conclusion | 415 |
Notes | 431 |
Index | 635 |
Other editions - View all
Faith and the Presidency From George Washington to George W. Bush Gary Scott Smith Limited preview - 2006 |
Faith and the Presidency From George Washington to George W. Bush Gary Scott Smith Limited preview - 2006 |
Faith and the Presidency From George Washington to George W. Bush Gary Scott Smith Limited preview - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
abortion Abraham Lincoln administration American argued Baptist believed Bible biblical Billy Graham Bush Bush’s campaign Catholic Christ Christian church Civil Religion claimed Clergy Letters Congress conservative contended David declared Democratic divine Eisenhower Eisenhower’s election evangelical faith faith-based federal foreign policy Franklin Franklin Roosevelt freedom George W George Washington God’s Graham human ibid Inaugural Address insisted Iraq issues James Jesus Jewish Jews Jimmy Carter John July June justice Kennedy Kennedy’s leaders liberty Methodist ministers moral National National Religious Broadcasters pastor peace political PPF 21A pray Prayer Breakfast Presbyterian president Presidential Protestant quotation Quoted relationship Republican Robert role Ronald Reagan separation of church Sept sermons slavery social Soviet speeches spiritual Theodore Roosevelt theological Thomas Jefferson United University Press urged vote White House William Woodrow Wilson wrote York