Was Bush the Most Faith-Based President in Modern Times?

By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country

A former Clinton White House official—who requests anonymity—E-mails a complaint about my calling George W. Bush "the most faith-based president in modern times":

You call George Bush the most faith-based president in modern times. Maybe it depends on one's definition of faith-based, but faith has been very important to both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton throughout their lives, whereas Bush's faith came as an adult. When it comes to knowledge of the Bible, if that were used as the criteria of faith-based, I would put either of them up against many faith leaders. To me, Bush used faith politically more than Carter or Clinton. That, at least to me, is quite different from being faith-based, which seems to indicate a deeper personal faith.

Interesting point. I called Bush the most faith-based recent president because of the important role his faith played in his policies on abortion, gay marriage, faith-based initiatives, embryonic stem cell research—even Iraq and his 2004 re-election. Given that record, Bush appeared to rely on his faith in policy and politics more than Carter and Clinton did.

What do you think? Was the Sunday-school teacher Carter or the Bible-quoting Clinton more faith-based than Bush? Or maybe you think that another recent president was more faith-based than any of these guys?

• Follow Dan Gilgoff on Twitter.
• Read more about the Obama administration.