Senator Clinton's comes with a liberal Social Gospel Methodist grounding that comes with the pastorate of the church of her youth and the ministry of her United Methodist congregation in Washington.

Senator McCain is a bit more complex, because his grounding is in the Episcopal Church and he is now a Baptist; he speaks least about his faith-commitments, but gives no evidence that he marches to a different beat than the church of his past and the church of his present We will see what "use" he makes of those commitments as the campaign goes on.

While Senator Goldwater, with whom the post-modern cycle of presidencies began, spoke little of his faith--he was Episcopalian--and President Nixon spoke much of his--he was of Quaker background, but was friendly to evangelists--President Carter was most up front about his faith and made clear that some policy matters, e.g., support of human rights, was formed on Baptist grounds.

President Reagan may not have been "born again," he favored and was favored by the cluster now called "Evangelical," while the Senior President Bush, also friendly to evangelists, remained a mainline Episcopalian. President Clinton is a lifelong Baptist, and lives off it ethos so much so that, like most Baptists, he carried his Bible to church, and was scorned as a hypocrite by other Americans who are unfamiliar with that ethos.

Democratic politicians are seen to be less faith-motivated than Republicans, despite the overt Baptisthood of Carter and Clinton. One year the Democratic campaigners in the primary included an ordained minister, two ex-seminarians, and a preachers'-family candidate, but they put less energy than do Republicans in rallying voters on denominational lines or justifying their policy decisions on the basis of religious choice. They tend to be quieter about it.

As for current campaigner, Senator Obama, it is inaccurate to say that he started using his religion in 2006. My wife and I have been to Trinity United Church of Christ on several occasions, where the Obamas are regulars and stalwarts, and where he was converted quite some years ago. His pastor is our friend and was one of my students. He is thoroughly at home with the theolog(ies) of the United Church of Christ and the African-Christian basis of Trinity's commitment. He is less likely to make a public display of his religion or to use it to garner support than are Governor Huckabee and some failed candidates, and if he did either, it would be a deviation from his versions of the Christian heritage(s).