Footnote3 “There is no way to understand me and my political philosophy,” he proclaimed, “without understanding my faith.” Footnote4 As president, Carter repeatedly asserted that he was a born-again Christian who prayed constantly and read the Bible every day. “The most important thing in my life,” Carter declared in 1976, “is Jesus Christ.” Footnote2 Christ's admonition to “love God with all your heart and soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself,” the Democrat argued, served as the foundation for his life. Sharing the gospel with families in Springfield, Massachusetts, six months later made him “uniquely aware of the Holy Spirit as an integral part of my life.” Footnote1 His two-week mission trip to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, in May 1968 deeply moved him. He read the Bible “with new interest,” went on witnessing missions, and spoke at several religious conferences. Carter soon experienced a more intimate relationship with Christ. Challenged by a sermon titled “If You Were Arrested for Being a Christian, Would There Be Enough Evidence to Convict You?” and conversations with his sister, evangelist Ruth Carter Stapleton, he vowed to make serving Christ and others his primary aim. His failure to win the Democratic nomination for governor in 1966 prompted Carter to reassess his faith.
Carter was ordained in 1958 as a deacon, the governing office in Southern Baptist congregations, and ushered, led public prayers, and preached lay sermons at his home church.
At age 11, he publicly professed his faith in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord, was baptized, and joined the church. More specifically, Carter's campaign to give Panama sovereignty over the canal and his negotiation of the Camp David Accord illustrate how his Christian commitment helped shape his foreign policy.Īs a child, Carter regularly attended a Southern Baptist Sunday school, worship services, and a youth mission organization in Plains, Georgia. My argument is that Carter's faith strongly influenced his quest for peace and promotion of human rights. After briefly discussing his faith, this essay will describe the role Carter's Christian convictions played in his philosophy of government, especially as it affected his foreign policy. J immy Carter, president of the United States from 1977 to 1981, was one of the nation's most religiously devout presidents.
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