Editor’s Note: This blog post written by IRD President Mark Tooley about Paula White, inaugural prayers, and American civil religion was originally published online by The Hill. Read it in its entirety here.
The selection of prosperity gospel preacher Paula White as one of the clergy saying prayers at Friday’s presidential inauguration has ignited some controversy.
Evangelical critics cite her flamboyant exaltation of material riches and her alleged rejection of Christianity’s traditional understanding of the Trinity. White, who’s a friend and neighbor to President-elect Donald Trump, insists she affirms Christian orthodoxy as defined in the Nicene Creed.
Inaugural prayers have become one of the rites of American civil religion. And the extent to which Christian orthodoxy or specificity should be expected from them and their delivering clergy is debated. Franklin Graham and Rick Warren, both evangelical, were criticized for citing Jesus Christ in their prayers for George W. Bush’s inauguration.
Inaugural prayers did not begin until Franklin Roosevelt, an Episcopalian more devout than commonly realized, who expertly performed and appealed to the craft of civil religion. Across nearly 70 years the clergy at inaugurations have been Mainline Protestants, Catholics, Jewish rabbis, and evangelicals like Billy Graham. American civil religion, largely created by American Protestants early in the republic, hasn’t always been inclusive, but has developed into a broad understanding of America as one nation under God.
Most clergy practitioners of American civil religion have been more staid than flashy Paula White. But less than orthodox Christian theology has not been wholly unusual. … In a highly polarized America where identity politics often trump unity and the public good, the venerable tradition of civil religion seems more needed and important than ever.
Click here to continue reading the rest of Mark Tooley’s thoughts about inaugural prayers published by The Hill. Read his comments about previous controversies surrounding inaugural prayers here.
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