Divine Rhetoric: God in the Inaugural Address

Scott Neuman of NPR chronicles the history and evolution of the invocation of the word “God” in inaugural speeches. Presidents have implemented religious imagery in inaugural speeches as a means of persuasion, as well as a reflection of the prevailing religious attitudes of their times. Neuman writes, “In modern times, religion has become so intertwined in our political rhetoric that the failure of any president to invoke God in a speech as important as the inaugural could hardly escape notice. “ 

Read at NPR

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