A new series on faith in election season
At his inauguration on January 20, 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower took an unprecedented step: after taking the oath of office, he led the nation in prayer. During his prayer, which historian Kevin Kruse notes helped make Eisenhower’s inauguration as much a “religious consecration” as a “political ceremony,” the new president asked God to “make full and complete [the executive branch’s] dedication to the service of the people.”
Eisenhower’s professed dedication to serve all the citizens of the United States and his willingness to rely upon God’s help were not entirely new. They echoed the earlier theological struggles of Abraham Lincoln, who had pondered how the members of a nation could read the same Bible and pray to the same God and yet rend itself bloodily apart. Both men evidenced a commitment to listening for God’s voice in the political process. Both men claimed their call to be a servant to all the people.
These two qualities underlie many of the concerns that rise up in conversations that surround the current candidates for office in the United States. Who or what is their moral guide? Who do they consider part of the body politic they are being called to serve?
