Overview

In The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents, David L. Holmes 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 colourful 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 favourite political philosopher or Barack Obama’s parting with his minister, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Holmes’s work adds depth, insight, and colour to this important national topic.

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9780820346809

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Reviews

Holmes's book is truly an outstanding study of the twelve presidents in recent history. --Michael Ashcraft, Journal of Southern Religion

This is 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. - Nancy Richey, Library Journal Holmes, professor of religious studies at the College of William and Mary (The Faiths of the Founding Fathers) examines the backgrounds of our presidents since WWII by delving into their families, the people who influenced their religious beliefs, and their patterns of attending Sunday worship. . . . [I]t is well-researched reading for the reader who wants to know about the presidency. - Publishers Weekly [Holmes] is politically and confessionally nonpartisan, which allows him to write impressively balanced accounts of such matters as Nixon's betrayal of Billy Graham's trust and Obama's connection to Jeremiah Wright, who, on the evidence, was an excellent pastor who'd never been 'controversial' before the media started sound-biting his sermons. Only Kennedy emerges from Holmes' presentation as less sympathetic than current opinion considers him. Another interesting take on the presidency. - Ray Olson, Booklist A distinctive element of American politics is its unofficial yet vital link with religion. . . . Holmes shows the personal side of this dynamic by examining the faith lives and patterns of the 12 American presidents who served after WW II, from Truman to Obama. . . . It offers a number of illuminating insights into the private lives of these very public leaders. - M.A. Granquist, Choice

This is 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. - Nancy Richey, <em>Library Journal</em><br><br> Holmes, professor of religious studies at the College of William and Mary (The Faiths of the Founding Fathers) examines the backgrounds of our presidents since WWII by delving into their families, the people who influenced their religious beliefs, and their patterns of attending Sunday worship... [I]t is well-researched reading for the reader who wants to know about the presidency. - <em>Publishers Weekly</em><br><br> [Holmes] is politically and confessionally nonpartisan, which allows him to write impressively balanced accounts of such matters as Nixon's betrayal of Billy Graham's trust and Obama's connection to Jeremiah Wright, who, on the evidence, was an excellent pastor who'd never been 'controversial' before the media started sound-biting his sermons. Only Kennedy emerges from Holmes' presentation as less sympathetic than current opinion considers him. Another interesting take on the presidency. - Ray Olson, <em>Booklist</em><br><br> A distinctive element of American politics is its unofficial yet vital link with religion... Holmes shows the personal side of this dynamic by examining the faith lives and patterns of the 12 American presidents who served after WW II, from Truman to Obama... It offers a number of illuminating insights into the private lives of these very public leaders. - M.A. Granquist, <em>Choice</em>

Author Information

David L. Holmes is Walter G. Mason Professor of Religious Studies Emeritus at the College of William and Mary. His books include The Faiths of the Founding Fathers, A Brief History of the Episcopal Church, A Nation Mourns, and The Life of the Rev. Devereux Jarratt.

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