St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, in Washington, DC is one of the most unique churches in the United States. A National Historic Landmark, located just north of Lafayette Square, and in clear view of the White House, it has witnessed the presence within its walls of more notable civilian and military leaders of the United States than any other church in the nation. Apart from the White House, St. John's Church is the oldest building adjacent to Lafayette Square. It was designed, and its construction supervised, by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, a leading architect of the early national period. From its opening in October 1816, every person, beginning with James Madison, who has held the office of President of the United States has attended St. John's at least once. Several Presidents have been members. Thus, St. John's is called "the Church of the Presidents." A significant number of members of St. John's, past and present, have played very prominent roles in the public life of the United States and the city of Washington, DC. This book tells the story of this historic church from its origins to the present, while chronicling notable services held at it, and key events in the lives of distinguished Americans who were personally connected with St. John's during their residence in Washington. REVIEWS The first thing to note about this marvelous history of St. John's Church is the research. From start to finish the facts are meticulously assembled and clearly laid out to the reader. This alone makes the book worth reading. But it is far more than a collection of facts. It is the story--or rather the stories-- of St. John's Church that makes this book stand out as a true gem with very few equals in the annals of Church History. --Harry S. Stout Jonathan Edwards Professor of American Religious History Yale University Sited importantly on its corner across from the White House, St. John's Episcopal Church has served both the famous and Everyman without interruption for nearly 200 years, its architectural evolution an index of the development of the capital itself. Historian Richard Grimmett tells the story of the "Church of the Presidents" in "St. John's Church: Lafayette Square" with the painstaking accuracy of an experienced researcher. Flavored with personalities and rich anecdotes, this book begins life as a Washington classic. --William Seale Editor, White House History author of "The President's House: A History." Because St. John's Church has been so closely associated with presidents, cabinet members, powerful insiders and Washington society ... anyone interested in the compelling historical details of a slice of Washington life would want to add the book to his or her library. --Mary O. Klein Archivist, Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.

“Through the pages of this book, I invite you into various spaces of sanctuary—not as places of retreat, but for the deepened resistance, vision, and transformation that these days, and the gospel, require.” Throughout her nearly forty years in ministry, Heidi Neumark has strived to make communities of faith into sanctuaries amid the turmoils of life. Now, with the social and political upheaval of the years since Donald Trump was elected president, Neumark believes the true Christian calling is to live out a counterpoint to today’s prevailing spirits of exclusion and hatred. Using her own bilingual, multicultural congregation as a model, she moves through the seasons of the church calendar to reflect on what it looks like to live out essential Christian convictions in community with others. Sanctuary is an amplifier for the many voices crying out against policies and rhetoric that are cruel, dehumanizing, and dangerous. Neumark begins each chapter with a quote from Donald Trump that she defies and dismantles with the power of her own stories—anecdotes about offering shelter for queer youth in her city, supporting immigrants and asylum-seekers being harassed by ICE, and embracing her church’s diversity with a Guadalupe celebration, to name a few. Timely, but also timeless, this book speaks to the deep wounds of this era, inflicted before and during the Trump presidency, which will remain long past its end.

Chronicles the life of a former slave to James and Dolley Madison, tracing his early years on their plantation, his service in the White House household staff and post-emancipation achievements as a memoirist.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, when asked at a press conference about the roots of his political philosophy, responded simply, “I am a Christian and a Democrat.” This is the story of how the first informed the second—how his upbringing in the Episcopal Church and matriculation at the Groton School under legendary educator and minister Endicott Peabody molded Roosevelt into a leader whose politics were fundamentally shaped by the Social Gospel. A work begun by religious historian John Woolverton (1926 2014) and recently completed by James Bratt, A Christian and a Democrat is an engaging analysis of the surprisingly spiritual life of one of the most consequential presidents in US history. Reading Woolverton’s account of FDR’s response to the toxic demagoguery of his day will reassure readers today that a constructive way forward is possible for Christians, for Americans, and for the world.

Why is religion still around in the twenty-first century? Why do so many still believe? And how do various traditions still shape the way people experience everything from sexuality to politics, whether they are religious or not? In Why Religion? Elaine Pagels looks to her own life to help address these questions. These questions took on a new urgency for Pagels when dealing with unimaginable loss—the death of her young son, followed a year later by the shocking loss of her husband. Here she interweaves a personal story with the work that she loves, illuminating how, for better and worse, religious traditions have shaped how we understand ourselves; how we relate to one another; and, most importantly, how to get through the most difficult challenges we face. Drawing upon the perspectives of neurologists, anthropologists, and historians, as well as her own research, Pagels opens unexpected ways of understanding persistent religious aspects of our culture. A provocative and deeply moving account from one of the most compelling religious thinkers at work today, Why Religion? explores the spiritual dimension of human experience.

"The founder and CEO of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and columnist for the Atlantic describes how white Protestant Christians have declined in influence and power since the 1990s and explores the effect this has had on America, "--NoveList.

Following the success of his New York Times bestseller Dumpty, award-winning actor, author, and illustrator John Lithgow presents a brand-new collection of satirical poems chronicling the despotic age of Donald Trump. Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown is darker and more hard-hitting than ever. Lithgow writes and draws with wit and fury as he takes readers through another year of the shocking events involving Trump and his administration. His uproarious poems and illustrations encompass Trump's impeachment, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protests, and much more. Lithgow targets Mitch McConnell, Mike Pompeo, Bill Barr, Jared Kushner, Elaine Chao, and many others, but also includes a few heroes of the moment, including Anthony Fauci, Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, and even Barack Obama. The book arrives at a time when it's needed most. With all-new poems and never-before-seen line drawings, Lithgow will once again make readers laugh and pause to remember some of the most defining moments in recent history—skewering the reign of King Dumpty one stanza at a time. Digital audio edition read by the author.

A unique history of the park across from the White House, and the many tumultuous events that have happened there—includes photos and illustrations. Lafayette Square, near the White House, has been in the spotlight during recent protests—but many are unaware that this Washington, DC, spot is surrounded by landmarks and steeped in a fascinating history of rebellion. A congressman shot and killed the son of Francis Scott Key in broad daylight on the square and got away with it. On the night Lincoln was assassinated, a co-conspirator forced his way into Secretary of State William Seward’s house and nearly killed him. The women’s suffrage movement created the tradition of White House protest that goes on to this day, and in 1950, Puerto Rican nationalists tried to force their way into Blair House to assassinate President Truman, who was living there. In this book, prominent Washington journalist Gil Klein recounts these and other stories, bringing to life the rich and sometimes bloody history of this seven-acre public gathering place.