The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents

From Truman to Obama

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, Church, Church & State, Biography & Memoir, Political, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty, University of Georgia Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty ISBN: 9780820339634
Publisher: University of Georgia Press Publication: April 25, 2012
Imprint: University of Georgia Press Language: English
Author: Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
ISBN: 9780820339634
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Publication: April 25, 2012
Imprint: University of Georgia Press
Language: English

The Faiths of the Founding Fathers, an acclaimed look at the spiritual beliefs of such iconic Americans as Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson, established David L. Holmes as a measured voice in the heated debate over the new nation’s religious underpinnings. With the same judicious approach, Holmes now looks at the role of faith in the lives of the twelve presidents who have served since the end of World War II.

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, 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.

National interest in the faiths of our presidents is as strong as ever, as shown by the media frenzy engendered by George W. Bush’s claim that Jesus was his favorite political philosopher or Barack Obama’s parting with his minister, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Holmes’s work adds depth, insight, and color to this important national topic.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Faiths of the Founding Fathers, an acclaimed look at the spiritual beliefs of such iconic Americans as Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson, established David L. Holmes as a measured voice in the heated debate over the new nation’s religious underpinnings. With the same judicious approach, Holmes now looks at the role of faith in the lives of the twelve presidents who have served since the end of World War II.

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, 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.

National interest in the faiths of our presidents is as strong as ever, as shown by the media frenzy engendered by George W. Bush’s claim that Jesus was his favorite political philosopher or Barack Obama’s parting with his minister, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Holmes’s work adds depth, insight, and color to this important national topic.

More books from University of Georgia Press

Cover of the book Livestock by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Katharine and R. J. Reynolds by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Pirates You Don't Know, and Other Adventures in the Examined Life by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book The Decision to Attack by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Lens of War by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Sounding the Color Line by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Arkansas Women by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Politics in Georgia by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Phillis Wheatley by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book A Sense of Regard by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Begin with a Failed Body by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Daring to Write by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book The Three Paradoxes of Roland Barthes by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book The Wisest Council in the World by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
Cover of the book Natchez Country by Mitchell Reddish, David L. Holmes, Martin E. Marty
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy