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Die Mehrheit der US-amerikanischen Präsidenten war protestantisch.
Die St. John's Episcopal Church, eine Episkopalkirche in Washington, D.C., wurde von jedem amtierenden Präsidenten seit James Madison besucht.[1]

Die religiösen Zugehörigkeiten der Präsidenten der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika kann deren Wahlerfolg beeinflussen, deren politische Haltung und Gesellschaftsvisionen sowie die politische Führung des Landes mitgestalten. Während einerseits von Spekulationen um Thomas Jefferson,[2] Abraham Lincoln,[3][4] und William Howard Taft[5] berichtet wird, die während Wahlkämpfen als Atheisten dargestellt wurden, nutzten andere, wie Jimmy Carter,[6] den Glauben als Fixpunkt in deren Kampagnen und Amtszeiten, um das Amt zu behalten. Fast alle US-Präsidenten können, zumindest seitens der eigenen Erziehung, als Christen charakterisiert werden. Dennoch gab es auch auch Amtsinhaber, die mit keiner spezifischen Religiösität verbunden waren. Die überwiegende Anzahl waren Protestanten, darunter treten Angehörige der Episkopalkirche sowie Presbyterianer am häufigsten auf. Darüber hinaus gab es vier nicht-trinitarische Präsidenten und einen einzigen Katholiken (John F. Kennedy). Bislang war kein Präsident offen als Atheist zutage getreten.[7] Dennoch gilt es als gesichert, dass zwei US-Präsidenten, Thomas Jefferson und Andrew Johnson keine religiösen Zugehörigkeiten hatten.[8]

Formale Zugehörigkeiten

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Die meisten Präsidenten waren formale Angehörige einer speziellen Kirche oder religiösen Körperschaft. Spezifische Zugehörigkeiten können jedem Präsidenten sein James A. Garfield zugeordnet werden. Nichtsdestotrotz kann für viele frühere Präsidenten eine formale Kirchenmitgliedschaft bis zum Amtsende vorweg genommen werden. In bestimmten Fällen trat ein Präsident sogar nie einer Religionsgemeinschaft bei. Umgekehrt allerdings kann jeder Präsident von George Washington bis John Quincy Adams definitiv als Angehöriger einer anglikanischen Kirche oder einer unitaristischen Gemeinschaft zugerechnet werden.

The pattern of religious adherence has changed dramatically over the course of United States history, so that the pattern of presidential affiliations is quite unrepresentative of modern membership numbers. For example, Episcopalians are extraordinarily well represented among the presidents compared to a current membership of about 2% of the population; this is partly because the Church of England, from which the Episcopal Church is derived, was the established church in some of the British Colonies (such as New York and Virginia) before the American Revolution. The Episcopal Church has been much larger previously, with its decline in membership occurring only in more recent decades.[9] The first seven presidents listed as Episcopalians were all from Virginia. Unitarians are also overrepresented, reflecting the importance of those colonial churches. Conversely, Baptists are underrepresented, a reflection of their quite recent expansion in numbers; there has been only one Catholic president, although they are currently the largest single denomination, and there have been no Adventist, Anabaptist, Lutheran, Orthodox, Pentecostal, or Latter Day Saint presidents.

While many presidents did not formally join a church until quite late in life, there is a genre of tales of deathbed conversions. Biographers usually doubt these, though the baptism of James K. Polk is well documented.[10]

Personal beliefs

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The inner beliefs of the presidents are much more difficult to establish than church membership. While some presidents have been relatively voluble about religion, many have been reticent to the point of complete obscurity. Researchers have tried to draw conclusions from patterns of churchgoing or religious references in political speeches. When explicit statements are absent, it is difficult to assess whether the presidents in question were irreligious, were unorthodox in their beliefs, or simply believed that religion was not a matter for public revelation.Vorlage:Citation needed

On the other hand, there are several presidents who considered themselves aligned with a particular church, but who withheld from formal affiliation for a time. James Buchanan, for instance, held himself allied with the Presbyterian church, but refrained from joining it until he left office.Vorlage:Citation needed

Some presidents changed their beliefs and affiliation at some point in their lives; synthesis of statements and membership from different periods can be misleading.Vorlage:Citation needed

Deism and the Founding Fathers

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Deism was a religious philosophy in common currency in colonial times, and some Founding Fathers (most notably Thomas Paine, who was an explicit proponent of it, and Benjamin Franklin, who spoke of it in his Autobiography) are identified more or less with this system. Thomas Jefferson became a deist in later life, and Washington, James Madison, James Monroe, and John Tyler are often identified as having some degree of deistic beliefs.[11]

Unitarianism and Nontrinitarianism

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Four presidents are affiliated with Unitarian churches, and a fifth (Jefferson) was an exponent of ideas now commonly associated with Unitarianism. Unitarians fall outside of Trinitarian Christianity, and the question arises as to the degree to which the presidents themselves held Christian precepts. The information is generally available in the statements of the presidents themselves; for example, John Quincy Adams left detailed statements of his beliefs. William Howard Taft, a Unitarian, is noted to have said in a letter to a friend, "I am interested in the spread of Christian civilization, but to go into a dogmatic discussion of creed I will not do whether I am defeated or not. ... If the American electorate is so narrow as not to elect a Unitarian, well and good. I can stand it."[12]

Two presidents were Quakers (Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon) and information about their religion is harder to come by. Quakerism is, by its nature, not circumscribed by doctrines, but even so it is hard to determine whether either Hoover or Nixon had much adherence even to Quaker practice. For instance, it is common among Quakers to refuse to swear oaths; however, recordings show that Nixon did swear the oath of office in the conventional manner in all cases, and while the matter is clouded for Hoover, there is newspaper and circumstantial evidence that he did likewise.Vorlage:Citation needed While Abraham Lincoln never officially joined a church, there has been some research indicating that he may have had Quaker leanings. During his time in office, he had numerous meetings with Quakers and had investigated a supposed Quaker ancestry.[13]

The only other president with any association with a definitely non-Trinitarian body is Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose parents moved from the River Brethren to the antecedents of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Eisenhower himself was baptized in the Presbyterian church shortly after assuming the presidency, the only president thus far to undergo such a rite while in office; and his attendance at West Point was in sharp opposition to the tenets of the groups to which his parents belonged.[14][15]

Nonreligious Presidents

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There are some presidents for whom there is little evidence as to the importance of religion in their lives. For example, almost no evidence exists for Monroe's personal religious beliefs, though this may be the result of the destruction of most of his personal correspondence, in which religious sentiments may have been recorded. As with claims of deism, these identifications are not without controversy. No president has declared himself to be atheist.[7]

St. John's Episcopal Church (built 1815-1816) just across Lafayette Square and north of the White House, is the church nearest to the White House, and its services have been attended at least once by nearly every President since James Madison (1809–1817).[16] Another Episcopal church, Washington National Cathedral, chartered by Congress in 1893, has been the scene of many funeral and memorial services of Presidents and other dignitaries, as well as the site of interfaith presidential prayer services after their inaugurations, and the burial place of Woodrow Wilson.[17]

Presidential proclamations, from the earliest days, have often been laden with religious if not explicitly Christian language. In at least two cases, Presidents saw fit to issue denials that they were atheists. At the same time, this was tempered, especially in early years, by a strong commitment to disestablishment. Several Presidents especially stand out as exponents of this. Consideration of this has become increasingly contentious as topics such as civil rights and human sexuality have increasingly put churches at odds with each other and with the government.

Studies of presidential religion

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Presidential biographers have often been brought to consider the issue of presidential religion. In the case of certain key figures (particularly Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln), they have devoted considerable attention to the subject.Vorlage:Citation needed

Some researchers have produced general surveys of presidential religion. A recent example is The Faiths of the Founding Fathers by David L. Holmes (New York, Oxford University Press USA, 2006), which examines the views of some early presidents as well as other political figures of the period. The Adherents.com website maintains a list of presidential affiliations, with subpages for each president.[11] Most of these subpages refer to a site by one Peter Roberts, which has links and some more detailed information on the religion of the presidents, vice presidents, and founding fathers.[18]

Liste der Präsidenten nach religiösen Zugehörigkeiten

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Nr. Name Religion Glaubensrichtung Weiterführender Zweig Spezifische Konfession Amtszeit Anmerkungen
1 George Washington Christ Protestant Anglikaner Episkopaler 1789–1797 Hineingetauft in die Church of England. Diese wurde als Episkopalkirche der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika nach der Amerikanischen Revolution reorganisiert.
2 John Adams Christ Nichttrinitarier Unitarier n. a. 1797–1801 Ehemaliger Kongregationalist. Er wurde später ein Unitarier und ließ den Glauben an die Prädestinationslehre, ewige Verdammnis, Göttlichkeit Christi und den meisten anderen calvinistischen Lehren seiner puritanischen Vorfahren fallen.
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Baptist Northern Baptist 1921–1923
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Baptist Northern Baptist 1945–1953
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Baptist Southern Baptist 1977–1981 Later left the Southern Baptist Convention
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Baptist Southern Baptist 1993-2001 Later left the Southern Baptist Convention
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Congregationalist 1923–1929
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Restorationist Disciples of Christ 1881–1881
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Restorationist Disciples of Christ 1963–1969
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Dutch Reformed 1837–1841
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Dutch Reformed 1901–1909
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Presbyterian 1829–1837
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Presbyterian 1857–1861
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Presbyterian 1885–1889
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Presbyterian 1889–1893
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Presbyterian 1913–1921
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Presbyterian 1953–1961
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Presbyterian 1981–1989 Baptized into the Disciples of Christ but disaffiliated and became a member of Bel Air Presbyterian Church in his later years
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Reformed Presbyterian[19] 2017–present
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1789–1797 Baptized into the Church of England. It was reorganized as the Episcopal Church (USA) after the American Revolution.
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1809–1817
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1817–1825
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1841–1841
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1841–1845
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1849–1850
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1853–1857
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1881–1885
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1933–1945
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1974–1977
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Anglican Episcopalian 1989–1993
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Methodist Methodist 1845–1849 Never baptized until on his deathbed. Formerly more or less affiliated with Presbyterian churches. He eventually received a deathbed Methodist baptism by Methodist preacher John Berry McFerrin.[20]
Vorlage:Sort Christian[21] Protestant Methodist[21] Methodist 1869–1877
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Methodist Methodist 1897–1901 Member of First Methodist Episcopal Church
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Methodist United Methodist 2001-2009 Former Episcopalian. Bush left his family's Episcopal Church to join his wife's United Methodist Church.[22]
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Quaker N/A[23] 1929–1933
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Quaker N/A[23] 1969–1974
Vorlage:Sort Christian Nontrinitarian Unitarian N/A 1825–1829
Vorlage:Sort Christian Nontrinitarian Unitarian N/A 1850–1853
Vorlage:Sort Christian Nontrinitarian Unitarian N/A 1909–1913
Vorlage:Sort Christian Protestant Unspecified Protestant[24] Various, including Episcopalian, Baptist and Methodist churches 2009–2017 Former United Church of Christ member.[24] He left it as a presidential candidate during the Jeremiah Wright controversy in 2008.
Vorlage:Sort Christian[25] Protestant Unspecified Protestant[25] Presbyterian and Methodist churches 1877–1881
Vorlage:Sort Christian[26] Protestant Unspecified Protestant Not affiliated, but visited Methodist churches 1865–1869 Many historians consider Johnson the least religious, and the president who was least affiliated with any religious group or identifiable religious philosophy.[27]
Vorlage:Sort Christian Catholic Roman Catholic Catholic Church in the United States 1961–1963 Only Roman Catholic President to date.
Vorlage:Sort None specified 1861–1865
Vorlage:Sort None specified[34] 1801–1809 Although raised as an Anglican, Jefferson later in life rejected the idea of the divinity of Jesus and became a deist.[35]

List of Presidents with details on their religious affiliation

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For each president, the formal affiliation at the time of his presidency is listed first, with other affiliations listed after. Further explanation follows if needed, as well as notable detail.

  1. George WashingtonEpiscopalian[36]
  2. John AdamsUnitarian[37]
    • The Adamses were originally members of the state-supported Congregational churches in New England.[38] By 1800, most Congregationalist churches in Boston had Unitarian preachers teaching the strict unity of God, the subordinate nature of Christ, and salvation by character.[39][40][41] Adams himself preferred Unitarian preachers, but he was opposed to Joseph Priestley's sympathies with the French Revolution, and would attend other churches if the only nearby Congregational/Unitarian one was composed of followers of Priestley.[42]
    • Adams described himself as a "church going animal".[38]
  3. Thomas Jefferson – None specified[43][44]

    Like many others of his time (he died just one year after the founding of institutional Unitarianism in America), Jefferson was a Unitarian in theology, though not in church membership. He never joined a Unitarian congregation: there were none near his home in Virginia during his lifetime. He regularly attended Joseph Priestley's Pennsylvania church when he was nearby, and said that Priestley's theology was his own, and there is no doubt Priestley should be identified as Unitarian. Jefferson remained a member of the Episcopal congregation near his home, but removed himself from those available to become godparents, because he was not sufficiently in agreement with the Trinitarian theology. His work, the Jefferson Bible, was Unitarian in theology ...

    • In a letter to Benjamin Rush prefacing his "Syllabus of an Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of Jesus", Jefferson wrote:

    In some of the delightful conversations with you, in the evenings of 1798–99, and which served as an anodyne to the afflictions of the crisis through which our country was then laboring, the Christian religion was sometimes our topic; and I then promised you, that one day or other, I would give you my views of it. They are the result of a life of inquiry & reflection, and very different from that anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence; & believing he never claimed any other.[47]

    You are right in supposing, in one of yours, that I had not read much of Priestley's Predestination, his No-soul system, or his controversy with Horsley. but I have read his Corruptions of Christianity, & Early opinions of Jesus, over and over again; and I rest on them, and on Middleton's writings, especially his letters from Rome, and to Waterland, as the basis of my own faith. these writings have never been answered, nor can be answered, by quoting historical proofs, as they have done. for these facts therefore I cling to their learning, so much superior to my own.[48]

  4. James MadisonEpiscopalian[49]
    • Although Madison tried to keep a low profile in regards to religion, he seemed to hold religious opinions, like many of his contemporaries, that were closer to deism or Unitarianism in theology than conventional Christianity. He was raised in the Church of England and attended Episcopal services, despite his personal disputes with the theology.[50]
  5. James MonroeEpiscopalian
    • Monroe was raised in a family that belonged to the Church of England when it was the state church in Virginia, and as an adult attended Episcopal churches.[51]
    • "When it comes to Monroe's ... thoughts on religion", Bliss Isely comments in his The Presidents: Men of Faith, "less is known than that of any other President." Monroe burned much of his correspondence with his wife, and no letters survive in which he discusses his religious beliefs; nor did his friends, family or associates write about his beliefs. Letters that do survive, such as ones written on the occasion of the death of his son, contain no discussion of religion.[51]
    • Some authors conclude that Monroe's writings show evidence of "deistic tendencies".[51]
  6. John Quincy AdamsUnitarian[52]
    • Adams's religious views shifted over the course of his life. In college and early adulthood he preferred trinitarian theology, and from 1818 to 1848 he served as vice president of the American Bible Society.[53] However, as he grew older his views became more typically Unitarian, though he rejected some of the views of Joseph Priestley and the Transcendentalists.[53]
    • He was a founding member of the First Unitarian Church of Washington (D.C.).[53] However he regularly attended Presbyterian and Episcopal services as well.[53]
    • Towards the end of his life, he wrote, "I reverence God as my creator. As creator of the world. I reverence him with holy fear. I venerate Jesus Christ as my redeemer; and, as far as I can understand, the redeemer of the world. But this belief is dark and dubious."[53]
  7. Andrew JacksonPresbyterian[54]
    • He became a member of the Presbyterian Church about a year after leaving the presidency.[55]
  8. Martin Van BurenDutch Reformed[56]
  9. William Henry HarrisonEpiscopalian[60]
  10. John TylerEpiscopalian[62]
    • Although affiliated with the Episcopal church, he did not take "a denominational approach to God."[63] Tyler was a strong supporter of religious tolerance and separation of church and state.
  11. James K. PolkMethodist[64]
    • Polk came from a Presbyterian upbringing but was not baptized as a child, due to a dispute with the local Presbyterian minister in rural North Carolina. Polk's father and grandfather were Deists, and the minister refused to baptize James unless his father affirmed Christianity, which he would not do.[65][66] Polk had a conversion experience at a Methodist camp meeting when he was thirty-eight, and thereafter considered himself Methodist. Nevertheless, he continued to attend Presbyterian services with his wife, though he went to the local Methodist chapel when she was ill or out of town. On his deathbed, he summoned the Rev. John B. McFerrin, who had converted him years before, to baptize him.[64]
  12. Zachary TaylorEpiscopalian[67]
    • Although raised an Episcopalian and married to a devout Episcopalian, he never became a full communicant member in the church.[67]
  13. Millard FillmoreUnitarian[68]
  14. Franklin PierceEpiscopalian[69]
  15. James BuchananPresbyterian[70]
    • Buchanan, raised a Presbyterian, attended and supported various churches throughout his life. He joined the Presbyterian Church after leaving the presidency.[71]
  16. Abraham Lincoln – None specified[72]
    • Life before the presidency
      • Some believe that for much of his life, Lincoln was a Deist.[73]
      • Rev. Dr. Phineas D. Gurley, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian church in Washington D.C., which Lincoln attended with his wife when he attended any church, never claimed a conversion. According to D. James Kennedy in his booklet, "What They Believed: The Faith of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln", "Dr. Gurley said that Lincoln had wanted to make a public profession of his faith on Easter Sunday morning. But then came Ford's Theater." (p. 59, Published by Coral Ridge Ministries, 2003) Though this is possible, we have no way of verifying the truth of the report. The chief evidence against it is that Dr. Gurley, so far as we know, never mentioned it publicly. The determination to join, if accurate, would have been extremely newsworthy. It would have been reasonable for Dr. Gurley to have mentioned it at the funeral in the White House, in which he delivered the sermon which has been preserved.[74] The only evidence we have is an affidavit signed more than sixty years later by Mrs. Sidney I. Lauck, then a very old woman. In her affidavit signed under oath in Essex County, New Jersey, February 15, 1928, she said, "After Mr. Lincoln's death, Dr. Gurley told me that Mr. Lincoln had made all the necessary arrangements with him and the Session of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church to be received into the membership of the said church, by confession of his faith in Christ, on the Easter Sunday following the Friday night when Mr. Lincoln was assassinated." Mrs. Lauck was, she said, about thirty years of age at the time of the assassination.
      • John Remsburg, President of the American Secular Union, argued against claims of Lincoln's conversion in his book Six Historic Americans (1906). He cites several of Lincoln's close associates:
        • The man who stood nearest to President Lincoln at Washington – nearer than any clergyman or newspaper correspondent – was his private secretary, Col. John G. Nicolay. In a letter dated May 27, 1865, Colonel Nicolay says: "Mr. Lincoln did not, to my knowledge, in any way change his religious ideas, opinions, or beliefs from the time he left Springfield to the day of his death."
        • After his assassination Mrs. Lincoln said: "Mr. Lincoln had no hope and no faith in the usual acceptance of these words." His lifelong friend and executor, Judge David Davis, affirmed the same: "He had no faith in the Christian sense of the term." His biographer, Colonel Lamon, intimately acquainted with him in Illinois, and with him during all the years that he lived in Washington, says: "Never in all that time did he let fall from his lips or his pen an expression which remotely implied the slightest faith in Jesus as the son of God and the Savior of men."[75]
  17. Andrew Johnson – No formal affiliation[76]
    • He accompanied his wife Eliza McCardle Johnson to Methodist services sometimes, belonged to no church himself, and sometimes attended Catholic services—remarking favorably that there was no reserved seating.[77]
  18. Ulysses S. GrantMethodist[11]
    • Grant was never baptized into any church, though he accompanied his wife Julia Grant to Methodist services. Many sources list his religious affiliation as Methodist based on a Methodist minister's account of a deathbed conversion. He did leave a note for his wife in which he hoped to meet her again in a better world.
    • In his 1875 State of the Union address, during conflicts over Catholic parochial schooling, Grant called for a constitutional amendment that would require all states to establish free public schools while "forbidding the teaching in said schools of religious, atheistic, or pagan tenets; and prohibiting the granting of any school funds or school taxes ... for the benefit ... of any religious sect or denomination."[78] The proposed Blaine Amendment to the Constitution followed.
  19. Rutherford B. Hayes – Unspecified Protestant
    • Hayes came from a Presbyterian family, but attended Methodist schools as a youth.[79]
    • Many sources list him as Methodist; in general, however, it is agreed that he held himself to be a Christian, but of no specific church.[80]
    • In his diary entry for May 17, 1890, he states: "Writing a few words for Mohonk Negro Conference, I find myself using the word Christian. I am not a subscriber to any creed. I belong to no church. But in a sense, satisfactory to myself and believed by me to be important, I try to be a Christian, or rather I want to be a Christian and to help do Christian work."[81]
    • Hayes' wife, Lucy, was a Methodist, a temperance advocate, and deeply opposed to slavery; he generally attended church with her.[80]
  20. James GarfieldDisciples of Christ[82]
    • He was baptized at age eighteen.[82]
    • Through his twenties, Garfield preached and held revival meetings, though he was never formally a minister within the church.[82]
    • Charles J. Guiteau attempted to assassinate Garfield at a sermon.[83]
  21. Chester A. ArthurEpiscopalian[84]
  22. Grover ClevelandPresbyterian[86]
  23. Benjamin HarrisonPresbyterian[87]
    • Harrison became a church elder, and taught Sunday school.
  24. Grover Cleveland – Presbyterian
  25. William McKinleyMethodist[88]
    • Early in life, he planned to become a Methodist minister.[89]
    • James Rusling, a McKinley supporter, related a story that McKinley had addressed a church delegation and had stated that one of the objectives of the Spanish–American War was "to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them".[90] Recent historians have judged this account unreliable, especially in light of implausibleVorlage:Vague statements Rusling made about Lincoln's religion.[91][92]
    • McKinley is the only president to include exclusively Christian language in his Thanksgiving Day proclamation.[93]
  26. Theodore RooseveltDutch Reformed[94]
    • Roosevelt always stated that he was Dutch Reformed; however, he attended Episcopal churches where there was no Reformed church nearby. (His second wife Edith was Episcopalian from birth.)[94] As there was no Dutch Reformed church in Oyster Bay, New York, he attended Christ Church Oyster Bay when in residence there, and it was in that church that his funeral was held.[94]
    • His mother was Presbyterian and as a child he attended Presbyterian churches with her.[95]
  27. William Howard Taft – Unitarian[96]
    • Before becoming president, Taft was offered the presidency of Yale University, at that time affiliated with the Congregationalist Church; Taft turned the post down, saying, "I do not believe in the divinity of Christ."[97]
    • Taft's beliefs were the subject of some controversy, and in 1908 he found it necessary to refute a rumor that he was an atheist.[5]
  28. Woodrow WilsonPresbyterian[98]
    • Wilson's father was a Presbyterian minister and professor of theology.[98]
    • Prior to being Governor of New Jersey and President of the United States, Wilson served as President of Princeton University, which was at the time affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.[98]
  29. Warren G. HardingBaptist[99][100]
  30. Calvin CoolidgeCongregationalist[101]
  31. Herbert HooverQuaker[102]
    • As Quakers customarily do not swear oaths, it was expected that Hoover would affirm the oath of office, and most sources state that he did so.[103][104] However, a Washington Post article dated February 27, 1929, stated that he planned to swear, rather than affirm, the oath.[105]
  32. Franklin D. RooseveltEpiscopalian[106]
  33. Harry S. TrumanBaptist[107]
    • Truman kept his religious beliefs private and alienated some Baptist leaders by doing so.[108]
  34. Dwight D. EisenhowerPresbyterian[14]
    • Eisenhower's religious upbringing is the subject of some controversy, due to the conversion of his parents to the Bible Student movement, the forerunner of the Jehovah's Witnesses, in the late 1890s. Originally, the family belonged to the River Brethren, a Mennonite sect.[14] According to the Eisenhower Presidential Library, there is no evidence that Eisenhower participated in either the Bible Student group or the Jehovah's Witnesses, and there are records that show he attended Sunday school at a River Brethren church.[14]
    • Until he became president, Eisenhower had no formal church affiliation, a circumstance he attributed to the frequent moves demanded of an Army officer. He was baptized, confirmed, and became a communicant in the Presbyterian church in a single ceremony February 1, 1953, just 12 days after his first inauguration, the only president to undergo any of these rites while in office.[14]
    • Eisenhower was instrumental in the addition of the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 (an act highly promoted by the Knights of Columbus), and the 1956 adoption of "In God We Trust" as the motto of the USA, and its 1957 introduction on paper currency. He composed a prayer for his first inauguration, began his Cabinet meetings with silent prayer, and met frequently with a wide range of religious leaders while in office.[14]
    • His presidential library includes an inter-denominational chapel in which he, his wife Mamie, and his firstborn son (who died in childhood) are buried.
  35. John F. KennedyRoman Catholic[109]
    • Kennedy has been the only Roman Catholic president.
  36. Lyndon JohnsonDisciples of Christ[110]
  37. Richard NixonQuaker[111]
    • Contrary to Quaker custom, Nixon swore the oath of office at both of his inaugurations.[112] He also engaged in military service, contrary to the Quaker doctrine of pacifism.
  38. Gerald R. FordEpiscopalian[113]
  39. Jimmy CarterBaptist[114]
    • In 2000, Carter criticized the Southern Baptist Convention, disagreeing over the role of women in society. He continued to teach Sunday School and serve as a deacon in his local Baptist Church.
  40. Ronald ReaganPresbyterian[115]
    • Reagan's father was Catholic,[116] but Reagan was raised in his mother's Disciples of Christ denomination and was baptized there on September 21, 1922.[117] Nancy and Ronald Reagan were married in the Disciples of Christ "Little Brown Church" in Studio City, California on March 4, 1952. Beginning in 1963 Reagan generally attended Presbyterian church services at Bel Air Presbyterian Church, Bel-Air, California. During his presidency he rarely attended church services, due to the inconvenience to others in the congregation.[118] He became an official member of Bel Air Presbyterian after leaving the Presidency. Reagan stated that he considered himself a "born-again Christian".[115]
  41. George H. W. BushEpiscopalian[119]
  42. Bill ClintonBaptist[120]
    • Clinton, during his presidency, attended a Methodist church in Washington along with his wife Hillary Clinton, who is Methodist from childhood.[121]
  43. George W. BushMethodist[122]
  44. Barack Obama – Unspecified Protestant[24]
    Vorlage:See also
  45. Donald Trump - Presbyterian[19]

Affiliation totals

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Affiliation
ProtestantVorlage:Efn 37
Nontrinitarian 4
None specifiedVorlage:Efn 2
Roman Catholic 1
Total individuals[128] 44
Affiliation
ReformedVorlage:Efn 14
Episcopalian 11
Baptist 4
Unitarian 4
Methodist 3
Unspecified Protestant 3
Quaker 2
None specified 2
Roman Catholic 1
Total individuals[128] 44
Affiliation
Episcopalian 11
Presbyterian 9
Baptist 4
Unitarian 4
Methodist 3
Unspecified Protestant 3
Dutch Reformed 2
Quaker 2
Disciples of Christ 2
None specified 2
Congregationalist 1
Roman Catholic 1
Total individuals[128] 44

Vorlage:Notelist

Vorlage:Reflist

Further reading

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  • Steiner, Franklin, The Religious Beliefs of Our Presidents: From Washington to F.D.R., Prometheus Books/The Freethought Library, July 1995. Vorlage:ISBN
  • David L. Holmes, The Faiths of the Founding Fathers, Oxford University Press, May 2006. Vorlage:ISBN
  • Vorlage:Citation

Vorlage:Lists of US Presidents and Vice Presidents


Category:Religion and politics Category:Lists of people associated with religion Religious affiliations Category:History of religion in the United States



Dieser Artikel ist eine Übersetzung des Artikels en:Religious affiliations of Presidents of the United States, Version vom 13. Januar 2019, Autoren und Versionsgeschichte siehe Artikel oder Teile des Artikels en:Religious affiliations of Presidents of the United States

  1. St. John's Church. In: WHHA.
  2. Charles B. Sanford: The Religious Life of Thomas Jefferson. Univ Press Of Virginia, Charlottesville 1984, ISBN 0-8139-1131-1, S. 246 (google.com).
  3. Richard N. Ostling: Book lays out story of Lincoln' complex beliefs (Memento des Originals vom April 3, 2007 im Internet Archive). Abgerufen am 26. Mai 2007 
  4. Abraham Lincoln's Humanistic Religious Beliefs. Archiviert vom Original am 25. Januar 2007; abgerufen am 26. Mai 2007.
  5. a b Taft as a Churchman; Belongs to Unitarian Church of Cincinnati, and Has a Pew in Washington (PDF) In: New York Times, June 17, 1908, S. 2. Abgerufen am 16. Februar 2008 „Word reached Washington to-day that the report is being energetically circulated that Secretary Taft is an atheist, and the Secretary's friends are indignant.“ 
  6. The Living Room Candidate - Commercials - 1980 - Bible.
  7. a b Danielle Kurtzleben: 'Religious Nones' Are Growing Quickly. Should Republicans Worry? National Public Radio, abgerufen am 30. September 2016.
  8. http://www.pewforum.org/2009/01/15/the-religious-affiliations-of-us-presidents/
  9. Colonial Williamsburg website has four articles on religion in colonial Virginia
  10. Mark Eaton Byrnes: James K. Polk: A Biographical Companion. ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, Calif. 2001, ISBN 978-1-57607-056-7, S. 52 (google.com): "On his deathbed Polk was baptized into the Methodist church."
  11. a b c Religious Affiliation of U.S. Presidents. adherents.com, abgerufen am 26. Mai 2007.
  12. Vorlage:Citation
  13. Bassuk, Daniel. (1987). "Abraham Lincoln and the Quakers". Pendle Hill Quaker Center for Study and Contemplation.
  14. a b c d e f Herbert Pankratz: A Guide to Historical Holdings in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library: Eisenhower and Religion. (PDF) United States Archives, Juli 2001, archiviert vom Original am 16. Februar 2008; abgerufen am 15. Februar 2008.
  15. Worship the Only True God, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 2002, p. 159.
  16. https://stjohns-dc.org/welcome-to-saint-johns-church/history/
  17. https://cathedral.org/history/timeline/
  18. see God and Country - Religion and Politics in the US. Archiviert vom Original am 2. Dezember 2007; abgerufen am 1. Mai 2008.
  19. a b Jason Mattera: Trump Unplugged. In: Human Events. 14. März 2011, abgerufen am 16. März 2011.
  20. Louise Mayo: President James K. Polk : the dark horse president. Nova History Publications, New York 2006, ISBN 1-59454-718-1, S. 8 (google.com [abgerufen am 19. September 2016]).
  21. a b Religion of Ulysses S Grant, U.S. President.
  22. The Jesus Factor. PBS, abgerufen am 1. September 2008.
  23. a b There are no Quaker denominations as such to be compared with, for example, the United Methodist Church or the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and there never were. Quakers are independent of being affiliated with a specific denomination and Quaker membership can only be more or less estimated on their yearly meetings which provides a contentious image of how many Quakers there really are.
  24. a b c * American President: Barack Obama. Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia, 2009, archiviert vom Original am 23. Januar 2009; abgerufen am 23. Januar 2009: „Religion: Christian“
  25. a b The religion of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th U.S. President.
  26. Almost all U.S. presidents, including Trump, have been Christians In: Pew Research Center, 20. Januar 2017. Abgerufen am 4. Februar 2017 (amerikanisches Englisch). 
  27. Religion of Andrew Johnson, U.S. President.
  28. Abraham Lincoln and the Doctrine of Necessity. Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association;
  29. The Religious Environment of Lincoln's Youth. Indiana Magazine of History;
  30. Mary T. Lincoln to James Smith, June 8, 1870, in Robert J. Havlik, "Abraham Lincoln and the Reverend Dr. James Smith: Lincoln's Presbyterian experience of Springfield," Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (Autumn, 1999) online
  31. James A. Reed: The Later Life and Religious Sentiments of Abraham Lincoln. In: Scribner's Monthly. 6. Jahrgang, Nr. 3, Juli 1873, S. 339 (google.com [abgerufen am 20. Februar 2010]). quoting Phineas Gurley
  32. James A. Reed: The Later Life and Religious Sentiments of Abraham Lincoln. 6. Jahrgang, Nr. 3. Scribner's Monthly, Juli 1873, S. 340 (google.com [abgerufen am 20. Februar 2010]). Noah Brooks to J.A. Reed, December 31, 1872
  33. Franklin Steiner: Religious Beliefs of Our Presidents. 1936, Abraham Lincoln, Deist, and Admirer of Thomas Paine (positiveatheism.org (Memento des Originals vom 13. Juni 2010 im Internet Archive) [abgerufen am 31. Mai 2010]).
  34. https://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/people/thomas-jefferson.html
  35. https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/jeffersons-religious-beliefs
  36. The Religion of George Washington. adherents.com, abgerufen am 19. September 2008.
  37. American President: John Adams. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 16. Januar 2009; abgerufen am 23. Januar 2009.
  38. a b Religion and the Founding of the American Republic: Religion and the Federal Government. Library of Congress, abgerufen am 23. Januar 2009.
  39. George Willis Cooke: Unitarianism in America. Archiviert vom Original am 17. März 2012; abgerufen am 23. Juni 2011.
  40. Wesley White: The Roots of Our Belief. 2008, archiviert vom Original am 26. März 2012; abgerufen am 23. Juni 2011.
  41. Darlington Congregational Church: Our History. Abgerufen am 23. Juni 2011.
  42. John Adams. Unitarian Universalist Association, archiviert vom Original am 31. Dezember 2002; abgerufen am 22. April 2007.
  43. a b The Religion of Thomas Jefferson. Adherents.com, abgerufen am 23. Januar 2009.
  44. American President: Thomas Jefferson. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 3. Februar 2009; abgerufen am 23. Januar 2009.
  45. Edwin S. Gaustad: Sworn of the Altar of God: A Religious Biography of Thomas Jefferson. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1995, ISBN 978-0-8028-0156-2, S. 16 (google.com [abgerufen am 7. Oktober 2013]).
  46. Thomas Jefferson. Unitarian Universalist Association, archiviert vom Original am 15. Mai 2007; abgerufen am 26. Mai 2007.
  47. transcript from Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush. beliefnet, abgerufen am 30. Dezember 2008. The original letter may be viewed on the Library of Congress website here [1].
  48. transcript from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams. US National Archives, abgerufen am 5. Dezember 2018.
  49. American President: James Madison. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 24. Januar 2009; abgerufen am 26. Januar 2009.
  50. James Hutson: James Madison and the Social Utility of Religion: Risks vs. Rewards. Library of Congress, abgerufen am 26. Mai 2007.
  51. a b c David Holmes: The Religion of James Monroe. In: Virginia Quarterly Review. (vqronline.org [abgerufen am 26. Mai 2007]).
  52. American President: John Quincy Adams: Family Life. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 2. Mai 2008; abgerufen am 16. April 2008.
  53. a b c d e John Quincy Adams. Unitarian Universalist Association, abgerufen am 16. April 2008.
  54. American President: Andrew Jackson. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, abgerufen am 22. Januar 2009.
  55. Sean Wilentz: Andrew Jackson. Macmillan, 2005, S. 160.
  56. American President: Martin Van Buren. University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs, archiviert vom Original am 12. November 2008; abgerufen am 8. Oktober 2008.
  57. Martin Van Buren. Kinderhook Connection, abgerufen am 8. Oktober 2008.
  58. Presidential portraits: Martin Van Buren (Memento des Originals vom October 25, 2012 im Internet Archive) In: Chicago Tribune. Abgerufen am 8. Oktober 2008 
  59. Martin Van Buren (1782 - 1862) - Find A Grave Memorial.
  60. American President: William Henry Harrison. University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs, archiviert vom Original am 8. März 2008; abgerufen am 9. April 2008.
  61. The American Presidency: Harrison, William Henry. In: Encyclopedia Americana. Archiviert vom Original am 21. April 2008; abgerufen am 9. April 2008.
  62. American President: John Tyler. University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs, archiviert vom Original am 10. April 2008; abgerufen am 22. April 2008.
  63. Robert Seager II: And Tyler too: A Biography of John and Julia Gardiner Tyler. McGraw-Hill, 1963, S. 109.
  64. a b American President: James Knox Polk: Family Life. University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs, archiviert vom Original am 2. Mai 2008; abgerufen am 9. April 2008.
  65. Religion of James Polk, U.S. President.
  66. John Seigenthaler: James K Polk. Times Books, 2003, ISBN 0-8050-6942-9 (barnesandnoble.com).
  67. a b The Religious Affiliation of 12th U.S. President Zachary Taylor. adherents.com, abgerufen am 23. Februar 2008.
  68. American President: Millard Fillmore. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 20. April 2008; abgerufen am 22. Mai 2008.
  69. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/20/almost-all-presidents-have-been-christians/
  70. American President: James Buchanan. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 2. März 2008; abgerufen am 19. März 2008.
  71. Jean H. Baker: James Buchanan. Henry Holt and company, New York 2004, ISBN 0-8050-6946-1, S. 143 (google.com).
  72. American President: Abraham Lincoln: Family Life. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 29. Januar 2009; abgerufen am 2. Februar 2009.
  73. Six Historic Americans: Abraham Lincoln John E. Remsburg, 1906
  74. White House Funeral Sermon for President Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Online
  75. Chapter III – Review Of Christian Testimony: Reed And His Witnesses Six Historic Americans: Abraham Lincoln, John E. Remsburg, 1906
  76. American President: Andrew Johnson. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 5. November 2008; abgerufen am 8. Oktober 2008.
  77. American President: Andrew Johnson: Family Life. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 19. Juli 2008; abgerufen am 8. Oktober 2008.
  78. American Presidency Project: Ulysses S. Grant: Seventh Annual Message. 7. Dezember 1875, abgerufen am 13. Februar 2012.
  79. Hans L. Trefousse: Rutherford B. Hayes. Hrsg.: Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Macmillan, 2002, S. 3–5.
  80. a b Frequently asked questions. Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2008: „The president never espoused a particular religion, but attended Methodist Church with his wife Lucy.“
  81. Charles Richard Williams (Hrsg.): The Diary and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes, Nineteenth President of the United States. Band IV. Ohio State Archeological and Historical Society, Columbus, Ohio 1922, May 17, 1890 (ohiohistory.org (Memento des Originals vom April 29, 2012 im Internet Archive)).
  82. a b c F. M. Green: Churches of Christ. Hrsg.: John T. Brown. John P. Morton and Company, Louisville, Kentucky 1906, Some Pioneers, and Others Who Have Been Prominent in the Restoration Movement: James A. Garfield, S. 412–414 (mun.ca [abgerufen am 19. Februar 2008]).
  83. Candice Millard: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President. Doubleday, 2011, ISBN 978-0-385-52626-5, S. 119–120 (google.com).
  84. a b American President: Chester Alan Arthur. Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 3. Juni 2009; abgerufen am 27. Februar 2008.
  85. Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur. White House, abgerufen am 21. September 2015.
  86. Biography of Grover Cleveland. White House, archiviert vom Original am 15. Januar 2008; abgerufen am 16. Februar 2008.
  87. The Religious Affiliation of Benjamin Harrison 23rd U.S. President. Adherents.com;
  88. American President: William McKinley. Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 2. März 2008; abgerufen am 26. Februar 2008.
  89. President William McKinley: A Life in Brief. Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 10. März 2008; abgerufen am 26. Februar 2008.
  90. James Rusling: Interview with President William McKinley. In: The Christian Advocate. 22. Januar 1903, S. 17 (google.com). Reprinted in The Philippines Reader. South End Press, Boston 1987, S. 22–23.
  91. Richard Shenkman: Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History. HarperCollins, 1992, S. 38 (google.com [abgerufen am 7. Oktober 2013]).
  92. Lewis L. Gould: The Spanish–American War and President McKinley. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 1980, S. 107–108 (google.com [abgerufen am 7. Oktober 2013]).
  93. 1900 Thanksgiving Proclamation. Archiviert vom Original am 7. Februar 2012;: „... the sentiments of sympathy and Christian charity by virtue of which we are one united people.“
  94. a b c The Religion of Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt Association, archiviert vom Original am 12. Oktober 2007; abgerufen am 27. Februar 2008.
  95. Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography. Dodo Press, United Kingdom 1913, ISBN 1-4065-0606-0, Boyhood and Youth.
  96. William Howard Taft. Unitarian Universalist Association, archiviert vom Original am 15. Mai 2007; abgerufen am 26. Mai 2007.
  97. David Henry Burton: Taft, Holmes, and the 1920s Court: An Appraisal. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, Madison, New Jersey, S. 24 (google.com [abgerufen am 16. Februar 2008]).
  98. a b c Gary Scott Smith: Faith and the Presidency: From George Washington to George W. Bush. Oxford University Press US, Oxford; New York 2006, Woodrow Wilson: Presbyterian Statesman, S. 159 ff.
  99. American President:Warren G. Harding. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, abgerufen am 21. Februar 2012.
  100. Trinity Baptist Church – Marion, Ohio: History And Development. (PDF) Archiviert vom Original am 18. Februar 2008; abgerufen am 16. Februar 2008.
  101. The Religious Affiliation of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. adherents.com;
  102. The Religious Affiliation of U.S. President Herbert Hoover. adherents.com;
  103. Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Archiviert vom Original am 12. Februar 2008; abgerufen am 15. Februar 2008.
  104. U.S. Swearing-in Ceremonies Highlight Religious Freedom Legacy: Constitutionally, religion is not a qualification for office. U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs, 4. Januar 2007, archiviert vom Original am 13. Februar 2008; abgerufen am 15. Februar 2008.
  105. Hoover Plans to Swear on Bible, Taking Oath In: Washington Post, February 27, 1929, S. 5 „Herbert Hoover, in taking the oath of office March 4, will swear – not affirm – with one hand on an old family Quaker Bible, that contains the date of his own birth.“ 
  106. The Religious Affiliation of 32nd U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. adherents.com;
  107. The Religious Affiliation of U.S. President Harry S. Truman. adherents.com;
  108. Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, & World Affairs: Harry S. Truman. In: http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/people/harry-s-truman. Abgerufen am 12. November 2014.
  109. The Religious Affiliation of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. adherents.com;
  110. The Religious Affiliation of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. adherents.com;
  111. American President: Richard Nixon. Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, archiviert vom Original am 12. März 2012; abgerufen am 21. Februar 2012.
  112. See videos on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies website: [rtsp://video.webcastcenter.com/srs_g2/inauguration/1969RichardNixonInauguration.rm 1969] (Seite dauerhaft nicht mehr abrufbar, festgestellt im April 2018.) [rtsp://video.webcastcenter.com/srs_g2/inauguration/1973RichardNixonInauguration.rm 1973] (Seite dauerhaft nicht mehr abrufbar, festgestellt im April 2018.)
  113. Gerald R. Ford – Facts and Favorites. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, abgerufen am 10. Februar 2008.
  114. Jimmy Carter splits with Baptists, BBC, 21. Oktober 2000. Abgerufen am 26. Mai 2007 
  115. a b Ronald Reagan Facts. Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library, archiviert vom Original am 27. September 2007; abgerufen am 15. Februar 2008.
  116. CNN Special: Ronald Reagan 1911–2004, CNN.com. Abgerufen am 28. Februar 2008 
  117. Timeline of Ronald Reagan's Life. PBS, archiviert vom Original am 3. Januar 2008; abgerufen am 15. Februar 2008.
  118. Paul Kengor: Religion and the American Presidency. Palgrave Macmillan, New York 2007, ISBN 978-1-4039-7771-7, Ronald Reagan's Faith and Attack on Soviet Communism, S. 176–178 (google.com [abgerufen am 14. November 2012]).
  119. The Religious Affiliation of U.S. President George H. W. Bush. adherents.com;
  120. The Religious Affiliation of President William Jefferson Clinton. adherents.com;
  121. Linda Feldmann: Candidate Clinton goes public with her private faith In: Christian Science Monitor, December 20, 2007. Abgerufen am 5. November 2008 
  122. a b Alan Cooperman: Openly Religious, to a Point (Memento des Originals vom 1. März 2010) In: Washington Post, 15. September 2004, S. A01. Abgerufen am 15. Februar 2008 
  123. Vorlage:Cite press release
  124. www.gallup.com – many Americans can't name Obama's Religion
  125. http://content.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1949879,00.html
  126. Rebecca Shabad: Church says Trump isn't an 'active member' In: The Hill, August 29, 2015 
  127. "Trump in the Middle: Why America Needs a Middle Child This Time Around", by Heather Collins-Grattan Floyd, CreateSpace 2016, pp. 17–18.
  128. a b c Almost all U.S. presidents, including Trump, have been Christians