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 What parts of the Bible do candidates really follow?
August 16th, 2011
10:57 AM ET
My Take: 5 biblical passages for Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN The audience booed when columnist Byron York asked U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota at the Republican presidential debate last week, if, as president, she would be “submissive to her husband.” That question would have been out of order if she had excluded her evangelical Protestant faith from her presidential campaign. But she has made her faith as a Bible believer central to that campaign, so voters have a right to know which parts of the Bible she really believes in, and which parts (if any) she ignores. Unfortunately, we cannot ask God whether He has in fact called Bachmann to be president, but we can ask her to interpret what she affirms to be the Word of God.  Texas Gov. Rick Perry leads a prayer event August 6 in Houston. Thousands prayed for God to save "a nation in crisis."
August 12th, 2011
07:37 AM ET
Ahead of presidential bid, Rick Perry and evangelical leaders court each otherBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) – Evangelical pastor Jim Garlow has met Texas Gov. Rick Perry only once, but the politician left quite an impression. Garlow, who is based in California, where he helped lead the campaign to ban same-sex marriage in the state, was attending a big prayer rally that Perry sponsored last weekend in Houston when he and his wife were invited backstage with the governor. “My wife has stage 4 cancer, and Perry ended up talking with her quite a bit and praying for her and her healing,” Garlow said. “We spent a fair amount of time backstage.” Though Garlow notes that the meeting was personal, not political, he is hardly the only conservative evangelical leader who has begun forming a relationship with Perry in recent days. Texas Gov. Rick Perry leads a prayer event August 6 in Houston. Thousands prayed for God to save "a nation in crisis."
August 10th, 2011
03:06 PM ET
Opinion: Republicans race to prove Christian credEditor's note: Michael Wolraich is a founder of the political blog dagblog.com and the author of "Blowing Smoke: Why the Right Keeps Serving Up Whack-Job Fantasies about the Plot to Euthanize Grandma, Outlaw Christmas, and Turn Junior into a Raging Homosexual." By Michael Wolraich, Special to CNN (CNN) - When Gov. Rick Perry of Texas called for a day of prayer and fasting in Houston, world-famous televangelist John Hagee answered enthusiastically. "We pray for our governor, Rick Perry," he gruffly proclaimed, "who has had the courage today to call this time of fasting and prayer just as Abraham Lincoln did in the darkest days of the Civil War." When Perry officially launches his presidential campaign this weekend, he will not be the only Republican candidate to carry the banner of Christian piety. The presidential pre-primary season has not featured so many brave Christian Abraham Lincolns since the days of Abraham Lincoln himself. Read the full commentary by Michael Wolraich
August 6th, 2011
06:05 PM ET
'The Response' in picturesHouston, Texas (CNN)– CNN'S Jim Acosta and Erika Dimmler are in Texas today for 'The Response' a gathering of Christians for a day of prayer and fasting, headlined by Governor Rick Perry (R) and others. This is what the event looked like in pictures. Read more about 'The Response' and it's political implications here and here.
August 6th, 2011
05:58 PM ET
Praying away the bad economyTexas Governor Rick Perry tries to pray away the malaise of the economy during a religious gathering in Houston. Read the full report on CNN's Political Ticker. 
August 6th, 2011
02:28 PM ET
Leader of Hispanic organization at center of sought-after votersBy Padmananda Rama, CNN (CNN) - For the Rev. Sam Rodriguez, who leads a Hispanic organization that represents more than 24,000 Christian congregations, the future of American Evangelicalism is clear. "If you are an Evangelical Christian, the fastest growing demographic in the American Evangelical community is embedded in the Hispanic church," said Rodriguez, leader of the National Hispanic Leadership Conference. Rodriguez is in Houston this week preparing for a leading role in Saturday's Christian prayer, "The Response," which organizers describe as "a call to prayer." 
August 5th, 2011
09:35 PM ET
Perry prayer event hopes to pray away the malaiseBy Jim Acosta and Erika Dimmler, CNN Houston, Texas (CNN) – Rick Perry seems to believe in the power of mixing prayer and politics. The Texas governor has called on both Christians and politicians to attend his religious gathering, dubbed "The Response," in Houston this weekend. In a video posted on "The Response" web site, Perry said he hopes worshipers at the event will help kick-start the nation's sluggish economy. In other words: pray away the malaise. Read the full story at CNN's Political Ticker |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Editor's Note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World," is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor.