Jimmy Carter: From the CT Archives

Jimmy Carter didn’t hide his faith.

As a presidential candidate, he taught the American public what it meant to be “born again.” He talked to Playboy magazine about sin. He frequently quoted Scripture, dropping verses from nearly every book of the Bible. His favorite was Romans 3:23, about everyone falling short. As president, Carter put forth a moral vision for America, at home and abroad. And he took time in private meetings with foreign leaders to tell them they needed Jesus.

Carter “maintained a persistent witness,” according to Wesley G. Pippert, a United Press International reporter and occasional CT correspondent. It was persistent even when it was politically inconvenient. Carter won some support for his moral commitments and character but was also roundly criticized, both by those who shared his politics and those who shared his faith. He was seen as smug, dour, and self-righteous, but also weak, naive, and unmanly. Add some inflation, unemployment, and a foreign policy crisis, and Carter lost his 1980 reelection bid in a humiliating landslide.

But he persisted. Carter was, as the title of his memoir had it, Keeping Faith. He spent his post-presidency years teaching Sunday school, working on human rights issues, and volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. He died at the end of 2024 at age 100 and lived long enough to convince many of his former critics of his integrity and see more than a few Christians reconsider his example of what it means to live out your faith.