Then Obama invited the openly gay New Hampshire bishop, V. Gene Robinson, to lead the invocation at another inaugural event, and more outrage ensued.

Obama’s choice of Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback megachurch to give the invocation sparked an uproar. Liberals felt betrayed that Obama would pick an outspoken conservative evangelical and opponent of gay marriage and abortion rights for such a prime spot, and some of Warren’s allies on the religious right thought his appearance would give Obama […]

Obama’s choice of Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback megachurch to give the invocation sparked an uproar. Liberals felt betrayed that Obama would pick an outspoken conservative evangelical and opponent of gay marriage and abortion rights for such a prime spot, and some of Warren’s allies on the religious right thought his appearance would give Obama […]

The chaplain of the Senate traditionally gave a blessing at the inauguration, but since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1937, the president-elect has chosen clergy to deliver the prayers. Steven Waldman, author of the book Founding Faith: Providence, Politics and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America (2008) and editor in chief of Beliefnet, has an archive of the […]

In the run-up to the inaugural, President-elect Obama said he would continue the practice, whatever its origins. But several atheist groups filed a suit to remove the words from the oath on the grounds that it violates the separation of church and state. They were also joined by prominent atheist and activist Michael Newdow, who lost a […]

Read a transcript of Pastor Rick Warren’s opening prayer, posted at ChristianityToday.com.

Read a transcript of President Obama’s inaugural address, posted at The Washington Post site. The speech was replete with religious and scriptural references and images.

The Great Warming is a 2006 documentary about climate change narrated by Keanu Reeves and Alanis Morissette. The film was endorsed by religious groups including the Evangelical Environmental Network and includes an interview with Richard Cizik, then-vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals and a major voice supporting “creation care,” a favored […]

Is God Green is a 2006 documentary, one of three produced by journalist Bill Moyers for PBS as part of the series “Moyers on America.” In the documentary, Moyers investigates the role of evangelical Christians in the climate change debate. The website includes the documentary itself as well as links to numerous religion and environment […]