What was teddy roosevelts religion

Roosevelt was a lifelong devotee to this faith. However, during large stretches of his life, he was unable to physically find a church to attend.

Thus, he often attended Episcopal services, as his wife was an Episcopalian. He once said:. But, on becoming President, I learned that there was a little obscure, red brick building tucked away on the back of a lot, and I immediately selected that as my Church. Roosevelt was a staunch defender of religious freedom and tolerance, even during a time when bigotry of all kinds was much more widely accepted.

Rich lives in Salisbury, Connecticut. Knopf, , pp. Ludlow, D. Nicholas, January thirtieth A. Surprisingly, the Membership Register of the Madison Square Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Historical Society has no listing for Theodore or Martha Mittie Roosevelt, in either the numerical or alphabetical register, although they were clearly active in the congregation. When the family moved uptown in , they apparently joined St.

This was the church of C. Shortly after that, however, they became affiliated with Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, and although a survey of Session minutes from to gives no evidence they actually joined, both of their very well attended funerals TR Sr. They may have attended both churches for a period of time.

I am indebted to Francis A. Sypher, archivist of the Collegiate Churches of New York, for his help in untangling the church connections of the Roosevelts. Kuhn, ed. A Most Glorious Ride. Nicholas Collegiate Church , pp. The membership roster of St. Nicholas Church suggests that TR requested and was granted a certificate of dismission to Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church on May 2, , but that he never presented the certificate to join Fifth Avenue.

The Register of Members for St. McCullough, op. Skip to main content. Services Collections History Online. June 3, Guest Blogger. Congregations , Presidents , Theodore Roosevelt.

TIME Ideas hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. Related Stories. The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. Already a print subscriber? Go here to link your subscription. Need help? Visit our Help Center. Mainstream Christians associated Mormon polygamy with barbarity and even slavery.

The abandonment of polygamy did not usher in a new era of tolerance, however. Although Utah sent Smoot to the Senate in , he was subjected to sporadic hearings over the next four years regarding his fitness for office.

While Roosevelt never approved of Mormonism, he came to believe that Smoot should not be punished for his religious affiliation. It also helped that the senator was a Republican. When the final hearings were being held in early , Roosevelt on several occasions greeted Smoot loudly in public to signal his support.

Protestant-Catholic antipathy had deep roots in the United States. Catholic priests were objects of special suspicion because they were celibate, conducted services in Latin, participated in a hierarchical order, and supposedly commanded the unquestioning loyalty of their flock. Although Roosevelt disliked elements of Catholicism, he also offered his hearty support to Catholic leaders who attempted to accommodate their faith to conditions in the republican United States.

I really cannot say that I was very much concerned one way or the other with their theology … their work was what appealed to me in practical fashion.