{"id":9267,"date":"2021-01-20T15:05:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-20T20:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/biden-only-second-catholic-president-but-nearly-all-have-been-christians-2\/"},"modified":"2024-04-13T23:43:55","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T04:43:55","slug":"biden-only-second-catholic-president-but-nearly-all-have-been-christians-2","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2021\/01\/20\/biden-only-second-catholic-president-but-nearly-all-have-been-christians-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden is only the second Catholic president, but nearly all have been Christians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much has been written about President Joe Biden\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/religion\/2021\/01\/11\/catholic-grief-joe-biden\/\">Catholic faith<\/a>. He often <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/09\/20\/913667325\/how-joe-bidens-faith-shapes-his-politics\">speaks of his religious convictions<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2020\/11\/07\/joe-bidens-faith-comes-through-speech-quoting-hymn-bible-verse\/6210854002\/\">quotes the Bible<\/a>, and he <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/joe-biden-coronavirus-pandemic-70e3ab48d7eefa4932f8c0c8eeb43e33\">attends Mass regularly<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although about one-in-five U.S. adults are Catholic and Catholicism has long been one of the nation\u2019s largest religious groups, John F. Kennedy was the only Catholic president until Biden was sworn in on Jan. 20. Aside from Biden, only one other Catholic, John Kerry, has been a presidential nominee on a major party ticket since Kennedy\u2019s assassination in 1963.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n<div style=\"border-width:1px;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);--block-gap: inherit\" class=\"is-style-alternate wp-block-prc-block-collapsible has-background has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-border-color has-ui-beige-dark-border-color\" id=\"how-we-did-this\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/collapsible&quot;}\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;collapsibleId&quot;:&quot;how-we-did-this&quot;,&quot;isOpen&quot;:false}\" data-wp-class--is-open=\"context.isOpen\" data-wp-init--scroll-into-view=\"callbacks.onInitScrollIntoView\"><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__title\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\"><div>How we did this<\/div><button class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__icon\"><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"context.isOpen\"><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-plus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!context.isOpen\" hidden><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-minus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-minus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible js-react-collapsible is-style-alternate\" data-title=\"How we did this\" data-style=\"is-style-alternate\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This analysis is an update to posts published in 2015 and 2017 about the religious affiliation of U.S. presidents. Data for this post was compiled from news reports and uses information from the Miller Center, the University of Virginia, PBS\u2019s God at the White House and the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. Constitution famously <a href=\"http:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/constitution\/articlevi\">prohibits any religious test<\/a> or requirement for public office. Still, almost all of the nation\u2019s presidents have been Christians and many have been Episcopalians or Presbyterians, with most of the rest belonging to other prominent Protestant denominations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-640-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-15837\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2021\/01\/20\/biden-only-second-catholic-president-but-nearly-all-have-been-christians-2\/ft_21-01-20_faithpresidents-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ebe9e8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ebe9e8;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/01\/FT_21.01.20_faithPresidents.png?resize=480,692 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/01\/FT_21.01.20_faithPresidents.png?resize=782,1127 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/01\/FT_21.01.20_faithPresidents.png?resize=960,1383 960w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/01\/FT_21.01.20_faithPresidents.png?resize=1200,1729 1200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/01\/FT_21.01.20_faithPresidents.png?resize=1281,1846 1281w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"922\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/01\/FT_21.01.20_faithPresidents.png?w=640\" alt=\"Faith at the White House: Religious affiliation of U.S. presidents\" class=\"wp-image-15837 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One-in-five U.S. adults say it is <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2020\/03\/12\/white-evangelicals-see-trump-as-fighting-for-their-beliefs-though-many-have-mixed-feelings-about-his-personal-conduct\/\">\u201cvery important\u201d for the president to have strong religious beliefs<\/a>, and 14% say it is very important to have a president who shares their own religious beliefs, according to a February 2020 Pew Research Center survey. A far higher share (63%) say it is very important to have a president who personally lives a moral and ethical life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The previous president, Donald Trump, was included as a Presbyterian in a previous version of this analysis, but he said in an <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2020\/10\/23\/exclusive-trump-confirmed-a-presbyterian-now-identifies-as-non-denominational-christian\/\">October 2020 interview<\/a> with Religion News Service that he no longer identifies as a Presbyterian: \u201cI now consider myself to be a nondenominational Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Historically, about a quarter of presidents \u2013 including some of the nation\u2019s most famous leaders, such as George Washington, James Madison and Franklin Roosevelt \u2013 were members of the Episcopal Church, the American successor to the Church of England. Presbyterians are the next largest group, with eight presidents, including Andrew Jackson and Ronald Reagan. Unitarians and Baptists (the latter including Bill Clinton and Harry Truman) are the groups with the third-largest share of presidents, each with four. There also have been four presidents who identify as Christian without a formal denomination, including Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Obama was raised in a nonreligious household but converted to Christianity as an adult and worshipped at a United Church of Christ congregation \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/trinitychicago.org\/\">Trinity United Church of Christ<\/a> \u2013 in Chicago. However, Obama left Trinity during his first presidential campaign in 2008 after <a href=\"http:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Blotter\/DemocraticDebate\/story?id=4443788\">controversial statements<\/a> by the church\u2019s senior pastor, Jeremiah Wright, gained widespread attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two of the most famous presidents in American history had no formal religious affiliation. The first, Thomas Jefferson, lost his faith in traditional Christianity at an early age but continued to believe in an impersonal God as the creator of the universe. Jefferson famously <a href=\"http:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/arts-culture\/how-thomas-jefferson-created-his-own-bible-5659505\/?no-ist\">edited the New Testament<\/a> by removing references to the miracles and leaving in Jesus\u2019 teachings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second, Abraham Lincoln, was raised in a religious household and spoke frequently about God (particularly as president), but he never joined a church. Scholars have long debated Lincoln\u2019s beliefs, including the question of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/ct\/1998\/february9\/8t2064.html?start=2\">whether he was a Christian<\/a>, and some aspects of his faith <a href=\"http:\/\/quod.lib.umich.edu\/j\/jala\/2629860.0033.105?rgn=main;view=fulltext\">remain a mystery<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lincoln is not the only president for whom there is some uncertainty surrounding his affiliation and beliefs. Some presidents were more private than others about their religious leanings, and some may have evolved in their beliefs during their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Lincoln\u2019s second vice president and ultimately his successor, Andrew Johnson, identified himself as a Christian but never was formally part of a denomination or congregation. Another 19th century president, Rutherford B. Hayes, sometimes attended Methodist churches but \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/berkleycenter.georgetown.edu\/people\/rutherford-b-hayes\">moved among Protestant denominations during his life<\/a>,\u201d according to the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace &amp; World Affairs at Georgetown University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Note: This post was last updated on Jan. 20, 2017.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Although Catholicism has long been one of the largest U.S. religious groups, John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden are the only Catholic presidents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_crdt_document":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2021-01-20T21:09:26Z","apple_news_api_id":"d973558c-f1f4-4efa-a7ae-0ef0d034bcbf","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2021-01-20T21:09:26Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A2XNVjPH0Tvqnrg7w0DS8vw","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"relatedPosts":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0,"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"bylines":[{"key":"6c24761d-adde-4d1c-ae83-ef075b9962f6","termId":951}],"acknowledgements":[],"displayBylines":true,"footnotes":"","prc_watchers":[]},"categories":[180,179,68,72,24,171,113,84,172,447],"bylines":[951],"collection":[],"datasets":[],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[467],"_fund_pool":[],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[515],"research-teams":[520,517],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-9267","short-read","type-short-read","status-publish","hentry","category-catholicism","category-christianity","category-donald-trump","category-more-leaders","category-religion","category-religion-government-1","category-religion-government-2","category-religion_government-3","category-religion-politics-1","category-religion-politics-3","bylines-aleksandra-sandstrom","formats-short-read","regions-countries-united-states","research-teams-politics","research-teams-religion"],"label":"Short 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