{"product_id":"9781943425778","title":"The Presidents \u0026 Their Faith: From George Washington to Barack Obama","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe old adage, \"never discuss religion and politics,\" is roundly rejected in this incisive exploration of presidential history and religious faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis newly updated 2016 edition of \u003ci\u003eThe Presidents\u0026amp;Their Faith\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating and informative look at how all U.S. presidents exercised their personal faith, exerted presidential power, and led a religiously diverse nation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHas there ever been a stranger prayer than Truman's, offered upon America's successful development of the atom bomb: \"We pray that He may guide us to use it in His ways and for His purposes\"? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the nation's founding, Northeast Presbyterians demanded explicit mention of Jesus in the Constitution. George Washington refuted them, saying that religious piety \"was a matter best left between an individual and his God; religious instruction was the responsibility of religious societies, not the civil state.\" What drove Washington to make that argument, and what if he had lost? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWho wouldn't feel like the exasperated FDR when he said, \"I can do almost everything in the 'Goldfish Bowl' of the President's life, but I'll be hanged if I can say my prayers in it. It bothers me to feel like something in the zoo being looked at by all the tourists in Washington when I go to church...No privacy in that kind of going to church, and by the time I have gotten into that pew and settled down with everybody looking at me, I don't feel like saying my prayers at all.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut even more importantly, what's real, what's a show, and why does it matter when it comes to faith and politics?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese questions and more are unpacked and examined, leading to a whole new understanding of how religion and politics interfaced through America's history, and how they will play out in our future.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this climate of religious and political tensions, \u003ci\u003eThe Presidents\u0026amp;Their Faith\u003c\/i\u003e casts a civil, entertaining and insightful spotlight on the unique mix (and frequent mix-ups) of politics and religion in America.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Elevate Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47137816084720,"sku":"9781943425778","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781943425778_p0.jpg?v=1763786340","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781943425778","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}