Faith and the Presidency From George Washington to George W. BushIn 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 7
... wrote about his personal faith in hundreds of letters, and spent a significant amount of time with Protestant and Catholic religious leaders. Nevertheless, biographers, historians, and political scientists have paid scant attention to ...
... wrote about his personal faith in hundreds of letters, and spent a significant amount of time with Protestant and Catholic religious leaders. Nevertheless, biographers, historians, and political scientists have paid scant attention to ...
Page 19
Gary Scott Smith. most of them wrote with posterity in mind at least part of the time. Finally, many presidents considered their faith to be a private matter and were reticent to discuss it even with intimate friends. Although these ...
Gary Scott Smith. most of them wrote with posterity in mind at least part of the time. Finally, many presidents considered their faith to be a private matter and were reticent to discuss it even with intimate friends. Although these ...
Page 22
... wrote his brother from Fort Cumberland, ''As I have heard since my arriv'l at this place, a circumstantial acct. of my death and dying Speech, I take this early oppertunity [sic] of contradicting both, and of assuring you that I now ...
... wrote his brother from Fort Cumberland, ''As I have heard since my arriv'l at this place, a circumstantial acct. of my death and dying Speech, I take this early oppertunity [sic] of contradicting both, and of assuring you that I now ...
Page 23
... wrote little about his religious convictions, analyzing their influence on his presidential policies is more challenging than it is for most other chief executives examined in this book. One place where they are clearly evident is in ...
... wrote little about his religious convictions, analyzing their influence on his presidential policies is more challenging than it is for most other chief executives examined in this book. One place where they are clearly evident is in ...
Page 28
... wrote that he had read the ''first part'' of Thomson's translation of the Septuagint and the New Testament. Although it is unlikely that Washington ''diligently searched the Holy Volume,''49 his fairly frequent citation of biblical ...
... wrote that he had read the ''first part'' of Thomson's translation of the Septuagint and the New Testament. Although it is unlikely that Washington ''diligently searched the Holy Volume,''49 his fairly frequent citation of biblical ...
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