October 13, 2008

The Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC general minister and president, delivered the address "Piety and Politics on the Road to the White House" at The City Club of Cleveland on Oct. 10, 2008.

In his speech, Thomas recounted the history of piety expressed by various political candidates – from the healing power of faith expressed by Abraham Lincoln to the division of public life and private spirituality by John F. Kennedy.

Beyond these figures, Thomas described the changing public expression of piety in recent election cycles. He noted that the dominance of the Religious Right's voice as a shaper of political influence has more recently been offset by progressive voices of faith.

The full text of Thomas' speech can be found at http://www.ucc.org/news/pdf/20081010-John-H-Thomas-City-Club-Talk.pdf.

An audio podcast of the address is available at cityclub.org/content/podcasts/index/Podcasts.aspx.

Established to encourage new ideas and a free exchange of thought, The City Club is the oldest continuous free speech forum in the country, renowned for its tradition of debate and discussion. The City Club firmly believes in the free expression of all ideas and the benefits of an open exchange. It is non-partisan and does not take positions on issues. All speakers must answer unfiltered, unrehearsed questions directly from the audience.

United Church of Christ News Service