Religion in the Oval Office

Religion in the Oval Office PDF

Author: Gary Scott Smith

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 665

ISBN-13: 0199391394

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Many American presidents have had a deep and meaningful faith that has helped shape their worldviews and characters, and their religious commitments have strongly influenced their political philosophy, analysis of issues, decision-making, and performance in office. Numerous presidents have testified that their faith enabled them to cope with the colossal challenges of their office and gave them courage and comfort. This book examines eleven chief executives from John Adams to Barack Obama.

God and the Oval Office

God and the Oval Office PDF

Author: John C. McCollister

Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM

Published: 2005-04-03

Total Pages: 223

ISBN-13: 1418515329

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A look into how the temporary residents of the White House expressed the deepest of all human feelings—personal religious faith—in their own words. “We need to remember that the separation of church and state must never mean the separation of religious values from the lives of public servants.” —Lyndon B. Johnson “So help me God.” George Washington added those words to the presidential oath, and every president since has followed suit. Whether their faith was devout or doubted, heartfelt or pragmatic, John McCollister plumbs America’s strong and deep spiritual heritage, showing the fascinating and vital role faith played in the lives of each of our forty-three presidents: Thomas Jefferson’s “edited” version of the Gospels Abraham Lincoln’s unique approach to organized religion Andrew Johnson’s “secret” Catholicism James Garfield’s personal sacrifice of the pulpit for the presidency Dwight Eisenhower’s trust in God’s sovereignty Ronald Reagan’s profound sense of forgiveness George W. Bush’s unapologetic faith in Jesus Christ From George Washington to George W. Bush, most of our country’s chief executives have turned to God for assurance, guidance, and hope. Through what they learned in the Bible, bolstered by strength found in prayer, they have led America to become the greatest nation on earth. Timely and timeless, God and the Oval Office tells their story.

God in the White House

God in the White House PDF

Author: Randall Herbert Balmer

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2009-03-17

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 0061744344

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How did we go from John F. Kennedy declaring that religion should play no role in the elections to Bush saying, "I believe that God wants me to be president"? Historian Randall Balmer takes us on a tour of presidential religiosity in the last half of the twentieth century—from Kennedy's 1960 speech that proposed an almost absolute wall between American political and religious life to the soft religiosity of Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society; from Richard Nixon's manipulation of religion to fit his own needs to Gerald Ford's quiet stoicism; from Jimmy Carter's introduction of evangelicalism into the mainstream to Ronald Reagan's co-option of the same group; from Bill Clinton's covert way of turning religion into a non-issue to George W. Bush's overt Christian messages, Balmer reveals the role religion has played in the personal and political lives of these American presidents. Americans were once content to disregard religion as a criterion for voting, as in most of the modern presidential elections before Jimmy Carter.But today's voters have come to expect candidates to fully disclose their religious views and to deeply illustrate their personal relationship to the Almighty. God in the White House explores the paradox of Americans' expectation that presidents should simultaneously trumpet their religious views and relationship to God while supporting the separation of church and state. Balmer tells the story of the politicization of religion in the last half of the twentieth century, as well as the "religionization" of our politics. He reflects on the implications of this shift, which have reverberated in both our religious and political worlds, and offers a new lens through which to see not only these extraordinary individuals, but also our current political situation.

Reclaiming Hope

Reclaiming Hope PDF

Author: Michael R. Wear

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: 2017-01-17

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 0718082338

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Now with a new afterword from the author. "An important and extremely timely book...Get it, read it, and talk to others about it." --Timothy Keller In this unvarnished account of faith inside the world’s most powerful office, Michael Wear provides unprecedented insight into the highs and lows of working as a Christian in government. Reclaiming Hope is an insider’s view of the most controversial episodes of the Obama administration, from the president’s change of position on gay marriage and the transformation of religious freedom into a partisan idea, to the administration’s failure to find common ground on abortion and the bitter controversy over who would give the benediction at the 2012 inauguration. The book is also a passionate call for faith in the public square, particularly for Christians to see politics as a means of loving one’s neighbor and of pursuing justice for all. Engrossing, illuminating, and at time provocative, Reclaiming Hope changes the way we think about the relationship of politics and faith. "A pre-Trump book with serious questions for our politics in the age of Trump...More necessary than ever before." -- Sojourners "Should be read by Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, and all who are concerned by the state of our politics.” --Kirsten Powers, USA Today columnist and CNN political analyst "Reclaiming Hope will certainly give you a fresh perspective on politics--but, more importantly, it may also give you a fresh perspective on faith.”--Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Ministries "An important and extremely timely book...Get it, read it, and talk to others about it." --Timothy Keller, author of Reason for God "An important contribution in this age of religious and political polarization." --J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy "A lifeline for these times." --Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts and The Broken Way “We can hope, and this book can help us.” --Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention

The Faith of Donald J. Trump

The Faith of Donald J. Trump PDF

Author: David Brody

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2018-02-13

Total Pages: 427

ISBN-13: 0062749595

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Based on extensive inside sources, including exclusive interviews with the President and Vice President, The Faith of Donald J. Trump explores his rarely discussed, but deeply important, religious beliefs and relationships with leading Evangelicals. The Chief Political Correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network and the "Jesus in the Public Square" columnist for the Washington Times explore the rarely discussed, but deeply important, religious beliefs and worldview of Donald J. Trump and his advisors. Donald J. Trump was raised as a Presbyterian and has praised both Christianity and the primacy of the Bible. In the Oval Office, he has surrounded himself with close advisors who share his deep faith. In this deeply reported book, David Brody and Scott Lamb draw on unparalleled access to the White House to explain President Trump’s connection to the Christian faith, the evangelical right, the prosperity gospel, and the pressing moral and ethical issues of our day. In part, the authors argue, President Trump won over evangelicals not by pandering to them, but by supporting them and all their most important issues without pretending to be something he’s not. Though the forty-fifth president is far from the perfect vessel—he has been married three times—his supporters argue that Donald Trump may be just what America needs. This book reveals how he has surrounded himself with believers who think he is the one guiding figure who can return us to the traditional values—hard work, discipline, duty, respect, and faith—that have long been the foundation of American life, and truly make America great again in all ways.

God in the White House: A History

God in the White House: A History PDF

Author: Randall Herbert Balmer

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2008-01-22

Total Pages: 243

ISBN-13: 0060734051

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Bush White House, historian Balmer explores the role religion plays in the personal and political lives of Americas presidents. 16-page b&w photo insert.

The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents

The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents PDF

Author: David L. Holmes

Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Published: 2012-04-25

Total Pages: 414

ISBN-13: 0820339636

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“Impressively balanced accounts of such matters as Nixon’s betrayal of Billy Graham’s trust and Obama’s connection to Jeremiah Wright…[An] interesting take.”—Booklist From the author of The Faiths of the Founding Fathers, an acclaimed account of the spiritual beliefs of such iconic Americans as Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson, this is a measured look at the role of faith in the lives of twelve presidents who have served since the end of World War II. David Holmes examines not only the beliefs professed by each president but also the variety of possible influences on their religious faith, such as their upbringing, their education, and the faith of their spouse. In each profile, close observers such as clergy, family members, friends, and advisors recall churchgoing habits, notable displays of faith (or lack of it), and the influence of their faiths on policies concerning abortion, the death penalty, Israel, and other controversial issues. Whether discussing John F. Kennedy’s philandering and secularity or Richard Nixon’s betrayal of Billy Graham’s naïve trust during Watergate, Holmes includes telling and often colorful details not widely known or long forgotten. We are reminded, for instance, how Dwight Eisenhower tried to conceal the background of his parents in the Jehovah’s Witnesses and how the Reverend Cotesworth Lewis’s sermonizing to Lyndon Johnson on the Vietnam War was actually not a left- but a right-wing critique. “An admirable and colorful yet balanced look at our recent Presidents and their religious beliefs. It will have wide appeal for all readers and particularly for those interested in presidential history.”—Library Journal

Recapturing the Oval Office

Recapturing the Oval Office PDF

Author: Brian Balogh

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2015-11-06

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1501700871

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Several generations of historians figuratively abandoned the Oval Office as the bastion of out-of-fashion stories of great men. And now, decades later, the historical analysis of the American presidency remains on the outskirts of historical scholarship, even as policy and political history have rebounded within the academy. In Recapturing the Oval Office, leading historians and social scientists forge an agenda for returning the study of the presidency to the mainstream practice of history and they chart how the study of the presidency can be integrated into historical narratives that combine rich analyses of political, social, and cultural history. The authors demonstrate how "bringing the presidency back in" can deepen understanding of crucial questions regarding race relations, religion, and political economy. The contributors illuminate the conditions that have both empowered and limited past presidents, and thus show how social, cultural, and political contexts matter. By making the history of the presidency a serious part of the scholarly agenda in the future, historians have the opportunity to influence debates about the proper role of the president today.

God Wills it

God Wills it PDF

Author: David O'Connell

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-05

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1351517120

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God Wills It is a comprehensive study of presidential religious rhetoric. Using careful analysis of hundreds of transcripts, David O'Connell reveals the hidden strategy behind presidential religious speech. He asks when and why religious language is used, and when it is, whether such language is influential.Case studies explore the religious arguments presidents have made to defend their decisions on issues like defense spending, environmental protection, and presidential scandals. O'Connell provides strong evidence that when religious rhetoric is used public opinion typically goes against the president, the media reacts harshly to his words, and Congress fails to do as he wants. An experimental chapter casts even further doubt on the persuasiveness of religious rhetoric.God Wills It shows that presidents do not talk this way because they want to. Presidents like Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush were quite uncomfortable using faith to promote their agendas. They did so because they felt they must. God Wills It shows that even if presidents attempt to call on the deity, the more important question remains: Will God come when they do?