Americans are curious to know what past presidents would have said about the job our current president is doing today
In Niels C. Nielsen’s intriguing book, God in the Obama Era (Morgan James Publishing), he demonstrates that before we can judge how our current president is doing we must first look at past presidencies and see how the current man in the White House compares to the forty-three men before him. Our president has made historic changes in the ethics and religion of his office; however, we still see a nation greatly divided and concerned about the direction of our country. Nielsen goes one step further in objectively evaluating the Obama phenomena by asking past great leaders hypothetical questions to see how history could have been drastically changed by their responses.
Nielsen’s thought-provoking book reflects on how Obama sees himself not only in relation to the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution, but to other presidents, such as, Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt, Carter, Reagan, as well as Bill Clinton and the Bush’s. The storyline approach is a historical one; presidents live in an ideological succession and their terms of office are determined by the United States Constitution – so what has made for a successful career and what has contributed to failure?
Nielsen takes a fresh look at one of the most controversial issues of Obama’s presidential campaign – the issue of his religious beliefs and background, and the effect they have on his daily decisions. The presidency is surrounded by symbolism and emotion. The author assumes that religion has always been in the background, and the hopes and dreams of Americans and their values and failures are seen in terms of our elected leader. Nielsen’s book was written for anyone wishing to evaluate what an ambitious new leader has done, and may do, in the larger and longer setting of the history of his office.
At the beginning of each chapter Nielsen points out the similarities and differences between our current president and his predecessors, sticking with facts and timelines rather than judgments, and concentrates on the long-term moral values and religious symbols that motivate both voters and public officials. Although the U.S. Constitution guarantees both freedom of worship and the non-establishment of religion, faith convictions remain a powerful ideological force in American politics.
Visit www.presidentsreligionandethics.com to learn more about this inspiring author who is already well-recognized for his earlier book, The Religion of Jimmy Carter.
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TIP SHEET:
Midwest Book Review: “When Henry VIII embraced Protestantism, much of England did as well. Does the same principle apply in America? God in the Obama Era analyzes faith in politics and its status throughout history. One of the country’s founding principles is freedom of religion, and this fact has given rise to unusual and unique to America aspects of politics and how it relates to the arena of God… a fine collection of essays from Nielsen and a solid addition to any collection focusing on politics or religion.”
Ron Highfield, Professor of Religion, Pepperdine University: “…this erudite, lucid, enlightening book brilliantly illuminates the central icon of American culture … In the aftermath of the election, in which religion played a greater role than in any election since 1960, we are fortunate to receive this book…rich in insight, lively in style and wide-ranging in scope…penetrating analyses of 20 presidents … a “must read” for anyone interested in the presidency, the place of religion in American history and culture, or religion in the Obama campaign and presidency.”
Rev. George M. Atkinson, Director emeritus, SMU Perkins School of Theology, Houston Branch: “Nielsen has written an unusually fine examination of the role of religion in the life and work of our presidents… comprehensive, balanced, puts into shadow any comparable books on the subject…students of American history will especially appreciate his careful treatment of this understudied topic, since it reveals ethical issues and nuances not examined in conventional studies … students of religion will appreciate the connections between the personal piety and the social justice efforts of each president studied…heartily recommend this book!”
Bishop Andy Doyle, Houston Diocese, Episcopal Church: “…very much enjoyed the book…captured the virtue of American presidents and their particular and faithful understanding of our country’s civil religion. While no one president…Nielsen wrote about reflects each citizen’s faith or lack thereof…it represents them well as faithful men who have believed in a providential God. As for President Obama, I was intrigued and challenged by …(the) comment that “the responsibility of his presidency reaches out beyond the external history to the internal history of the soul, spirit, intention and vision” …words will stay with me for some time as I think about the topic of virtuous leadership both secular and religious.
