Religion & Politics
For information on religion in the 2008 campaign, go to Religion & Politics '08 »
The United States has a long tradition of separating church from state, yet a powerful inclination to mix religion and politics. Throughout our nation's history, great political and social movements – from abolition to women's suffrage to civil rights to today's struggles over abortion and gay marriage – have drawn upon religious institutions for moral authority, inspirational leadership and organizational muscle. In recent years, religion has been woven more deeply into the fabric of partisan politics than ever before.
The Pew Forum offers a variety of resources that probe the relationship between religion and politics, including reports, event transcripts, polling data and news clips.
Religious Profiles of the President and Vice President
Go to the Pew Forum's Religion & Politics '08 for
religious profiles of Barack Obama and Joe Biden that include in-depth
religious biographies, their views on 12 values-laden issues,
public opinion data and more.
 | Barack Obama Religious Profile Obama embraced Christianity as it was presented to him in a dynamic black church on Chicago's South Side. |  |
Joe Biden Religious Profile Born to Irish-Catholic parents, Biden briefly considered becoming a priest when he was a young student. |
Resource Pages
Religion and the Presidency
Abortion
Campaign 2006
Photo Credit: Joseph Sohm; Visions of America/CORBIS
