God and the Oval Office: The Religious Faith of Our 43 Presidents

by John McCollister, Thomas Nelson Publishers

"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." Goerge Washington added those words to the presidential oath, and every president since has followed suit. Whether their faith was devout or doubted, heartfelt of 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 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 tells their story.

Genres: Presidents, History, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating book, especially in light of recent activities in the White House. McCollister explores the religious lives of every president from George Washington to George W. Bush. He quotes from the presidents, their colleagues and their preachers to paint a picture of leaders who attended church for show and leaders who truly believed and practiced what they proclaimed. Among the interesting notes: Rather than join a local church, Richard Nixon, raised Quaker, created a chapel at the White House and invited a variety of preachers to conduct services there. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Abraham Lincoln, preferred the Catholic church but didn’t dare join because it would be political suicide. John F. Kennedy, our only Catholic president, struggled to convince voters that he, not the Pope, would be running the country. George W. Bush believed God wanted him to run for president because something important was about to happen. Shortly after he took office in 2001, 9/11 occurred. McCollister packs a lot of facts and a lot of history into this book. I would love to see it go on to include presidents Obama and Trump.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting overview of the religious practices of all US presidents. Many of the chapters are little more than thumbnail sketches, and some of them leave you wanting more, but it does give some insight into the faith, or lack of faith, behind the names of each president. Interesting to try and grasp how the intensity of a president's faith coincided, or did not coincide, with periods of national revival.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of information to absorb. It gives a quick overview of each president and their religious beliefs (or the best guess of their beliefs reflected in their behaviors, journals, others observations and accounts etc.). It's an interesting way to learn about the history of the nation's presidents.

[Mok · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book about how our presidents felt strongly that religion is personal and should be separate from politics.

[Eric A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

good overview of the religious views of the presidents. It incorrectly lists George Washington as a deist but other than that an enjoyable read.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read Washington and I'm already fascinated.