The culminating event of the Festival of Faiths was a lecture by Jon Meacham, the editor of Newsweek on January 26, 2009. This event was held at Yardley Hall on the campus of Johnson County Community College.

Newsweek editor and American Gospel author Jon Meacham captivated a 500-person audience at this second annual Festival of Faiths’ Signature Event. Meacham’s in-depth knowledge of history, coupled with the easy wit of a storyteller, provided a rich perspective on his topic: “Faith and Politics: From George Washington to Barack Obama.

Meacham discussed the Founding Fathers’ careful thinking on the relationship of religion and politics in the new land. He noted that they acknowledged the inherently human nature of religion in the lives of individuals and the religious history of the new country’s immigrant citizens. They intentionally avoided any implication that the country would have one common religion, persecute followers of any particular faith, or prescribe adherence to any specific view of God. Based on these facts, Meacham emphasized, the U.S. is not a “Christian Nation,” as many have argued.

In relating how American presidents including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Abraham Lincoln thought about the Divine, Meacham noted the historical tension that has existed between our presidents’ private faiths or religions and the ways they have publicly connected that religion to a political agenda.

Now, what’s in store with the Obama administration? Meacham offered no crystal ball but a generally hopeful tone. Clearly the subject of religion and our religious diversity as a nation is a topic of wide public interest and an item on the political agenda as well.

Meacham said, “I think the greatest presidents have used public religion to make a difference. If religion is a fundamental part of who we are, then surely we can take hold of that force and channel it for the greater good.”

Following Meacham’s presentation, he fielded questions from the audience. The end to a stimulating and engaging evening came with this exchange:

Question: “What does it mean when a politician says, ‘God bless America’?”
Meacham: "I want your vote.”

Jon Meacham is the author of:

• American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation
• Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship
• American Lion