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Session Two: The Presidency and Civil ReligionTuesday, October 9, 2012 - 6:30pmPresidents, whether they wanted to be or not, have functioned as the symbolic high priests of our civil religion, praying for the nation, invoking God’s blessing, and interpreting God’s will for the world. Presidents have used this symbolic power to garner support for interventions in other countries, territorial expansion, the abolition of slavery, prohibition, civil rights, the war on poverty, the defense of laissez-faire economics, health care reform, and even federal deregulation. We will look at the ways in which the presidents have overtly or covertly relied on religious themes, and how their actions have shaped our religious culture. |