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God in the White House : a history : how faith shaped the presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush / Randall Balmer.

by Balmer, Randall Herbert.

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New York : HarperOne, c2008.

Presidents -- United States -- Religion.

Presidents -- United States -- Biography.

Church and state -- United States.

Religion and politics -- United States -- History -- 20th century.

9780060734053 (hbk.)

x, 243 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

Historian Balmer reveals the role religion has played in the personal and political lives of the last nine American presidents. Americans were once content to disregard religion as a criterion, as in most of the modern presidential elections before Jimmy Carter. But today's voters have come to expect candidates to disclose their religious views and to illustrate their personal relationship to the Almighty. This book 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, and offers a new lens through which to see not only these presidents, but also our current political situation.--From publisher description.

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