Among all our presidents from Washington downward, not one was a professor of religion, at least not of more than unitarianism.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- No U.S. president since Washington was a professor of religion beyond unitarianism.
- In plain terms
- Presidents have not been religious scholars, except perhaps in unitarianism.
- What can you take from it?
- Political leaders rarely have formal religious academic backgrounds.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does a religious academic background affect presidential decisions?
- Why might presidents avoid formal religious scholarship?
Another view
The statement may ignore presidents with informal religious training.
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