McCain Keeps His God to Himself

John McCain is notably reserved about his religious faith. He rarely refers to God on campaign stops, in marked contrast to the two presidents who preceded him and, in a role reversal, to his Democratic opponents. His reticence is a throwback to the days when religion was kept out of politics, Politico notes, and may be a weapon against him in the general election.

Raised Episcopalian, the future Republican nominee now belongs to a Baptist megachurch, though he has not been baptized. Social conservative fixture Gary Bauer says McCain’s tone is “a contrast to the evangelical world where being verbal…is just the cultural norm”—and cites Obama’s special ease with religious matters. Mac occasionally talks up religion when remembering his POW years, and one scholar calls his silence a “soldier’s faith.” (More John McCain stories.)