Lisa Miller

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Rick Warren’s ‘The Purpose-Driven Life’

December 15, 2008 By Lisa Miller

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.

Filed Under: BeliefWatch: Lisa Miller, Books, Newsweek Tagged With: Bible, Lisa Miller

Lisa Miller

Lisa Miller

Lisa Miller is a staff writer at New York magazine. She is a former columnist for the Washington Post, former senior editor of Newsweek magazine, and author of "Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife."

About Lisa Miller

Lisa-Miller-Headshot

Lisa Miller is a staff writer at New York magazine. She is the former religion columnist for the Washington Post, former senior editor of Newsweek magazine, and author of "Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife."

In 2014, Lisa Miller was nominated for the National Magazine Award and featured in Best Magazine Writing of 2014.

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NOMINATED FOR THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE AWARD

Lisa-Miller-Headshot

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