#67: Patrick Lacroix - "JFK and the Politics of Faith"

Axelbank Reports History and Today

Will an American president take orders from the Pope? As the devoutly catholic Joe Biden ran for president, he faced no such question. But sixty years before, when John F. Kennedy was running, it was not only a question, but a controversy. Listen to our episode with historian of religion in America, Dr. Patrick Lacroix, as he explains how JFK not only grappled with how to handle the question, but how his presidency helped quell those questions once and for all, at least for catholics. He also explains JFK's religious influences and gauges whether his lifestyle matched with religious teachings. JFK's presidency is incomplete in many ways, and Dr. Lacroix argues, the study of it has been as well. He explains why so many historians missed the impact JFK had on American life when viewed through the transformation of catholicism during his brief tenure in office.
Dr. Patrick Lacroix is on social media at twitter.com/querythepast
His website is querythepast.com
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