Press Release
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly - "2008 Campaign: What the Candidates Believe"
2008 Campaign: What the Candidates Believe
Cover Story, Original Broadcast Date: October 10, 2008 (Show #1206):
Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain and Sarah Palin all describe themselves as Christians, but they live out their faith in very different ways. What are the candidates' religious beliefs? And how do those beliefs affect their politics? Kim Lawton looks at how the candidates talk about their faith -- and apply it to their political policies and decisions. Reverend Adam Hamilton, author of "Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White," observes that Senator Obama, who often talks about the importance of putting faith into action, embodies several streams of Protestantism: "He's a picture of what mainline Protestantism, I think, should strive to be. And that is somebody who does have an evangelical experience of Christ, a personal walk with Christ, and a compelling desire to work for justice." In contrast, Senator McCain is much more reticent when speaking of his faith because, according to his senior advisor Nancy Pfotenhauer, "I think it is sometimes a challenge to get Senator McCain to open up about his journey and in part because he, I think he considers those acts to be, if you will, quiet acts of courage and faith. And so he's not the type that kind of traditionally wears their faith on their sleeve."
Featured (in alphabetical order):
Sister Simone Campbell, National Coordinator, NETWORK Lobby
Archbishop Charles Chaput, Archdiocese of Denver
Reverend Adam Hamilton, Author, "Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White"
Kaylene Johnson, Biographer
Nancy Pfotenhauer, Senior Advisor, McCain Campaign
Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain and Sarah Palin all describe themselves as Christians, but they live out their faith in very different ways. What are the candidates' religious beliefs? And how do those beliefs affect their politics? Kim Lawton looks at how the candidates talk about their faith -- and apply it to their political policies and decisions. Reverend Adam Hamilton, author of "Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White," observes that Senator Obama, who often talks about the importance of putting faith into action, embodies several streams of Protestantism: "He's a picture of what mainline Protestantism, I think, should strive to be. And that is somebody who does have an evangelical experience of Christ, a personal walk with Christ, and a compelling desire to work for justice." In contrast, Senator McCain is much more reticent when speaking of his faith because, according to his senior advisor Nancy Pfotenhauer, "I think it is sometimes a challenge to get Senator McCain to open up about his journey and in part because he, I think he considers those acts to be, if you will, quiet acts of courage and faith. And so he's not the type that kind of traditionally wears their faith on their sleeve."
Featured (in alphabetical order):
Sister Simone Campbell, National Coordinator, NETWORK Lobby
Archbishop Charles Chaput, Archdiocese of Denver
Reverend Adam Hamilton, Author, "Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White"
Kaylene Johnson, Biographer
Nancy Pfotenhauer, Senior Advisor, McCain Campaign