When George W. Bush became president in 2000, he brought with him a kind of “hey, guy” Christianity that had been quietly booming in megachurches throughout the land. It was neither the formal Episcopal worship of his youth nor the groovy pan-spirituality of lefty dabblers. Bush’s faith was rooted in a Christian-conversion experience—and in the vernacular and ethos of the 12-step movement. It was nurtured in “small groups,” Bible-based social clubs that allowed men (or moms, or singles, or seniors) to speak up about their experiences. The Christianity that the younger Bush brought to the White House was casual and personal; it often resembled—if you didn’t look too closely—self-help as much as religion.
About The Author
Lisa Miller
Lisa Miller is a domestic correspondent for the New York Times. She is a former contributing editor to New York magazine, the former religion columnist for the Washington Post, and former senior editor of Newsweek magazine. She is the author of “Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife" and a co-author of "Take Up Space: The Unprecedented AOC."