The

The Theodore Roosevelt was a man of many talents. At different times in his life, he was a writer, a rancher, a hunter, a war hero, a naturalist, an explorer, and yes, a statesman. He was America's first

progressive president, and he believed strongly in American greatness. But what did Roosevelt

believe when it came to the matters of the soul? What were his religious beliefs, and how

did this affect his life and career? Today's guest is

Professor Benjamin Wetzel. He's a professor at Taylor University and he's authored a book,

Theodore Roosevelt, preaching from the bully pulpit. Professor Wetzel, thanks for being on our

show. Thank you for having me. So Roosevelt has been studied. He's one of the most

colorful, interesting presidents in American history. And yet this aspect of his life,

the inner life, his religious beliefs, have been overlooked. Why is that the case?

Well, it's a good question. And I think the beginning of that answer is that he didn't

wear his faith on his sleeve, the way that his contemporary and political enemy William

Jennings Bryan did, for example. Roosevelt was a lifelong churchgoer. He knew the Bible very well. He raised his children more or less in the Christian faith, but he wasn't as outspoken about his own personal beliefs, and I would say even less so as his career went on. And that may be partly for political reasons, not to alienate certain groups and so forth.

But he just wasn't someone who talked about his faith all that much in contrast to some of his contemporaries.

So give me an idea about his faith background. When people look up his religious affiliation, it says that he was Dutch reformed.

But he didn't start out that way. So tell me about his family's faith background, about how he was raised.

So his father, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., came from the Dutch Reformed tradition,

and certainly the ethnic heritage, the Roosevelt was Dutch, all the way back to the first Roosevelt to come in the 17th century

to Dutch New Netherlands. But his mother was a Presbyterian. And when he, when TR was a little boy,

they attended a Presbyterian church in New York City until the pastor left for another position.

Then when he was kind of like early

teenager, they moved uptown to a Dutch Reformed church, St. Nicholas, collegiate reformed church.

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