An inspired and original compilation for the 2016 election year, God Is in the House is a collection of essays by members of Congress who reflect on their deep faith and how it guides them as legislators.
Compiled by Representative Virginia Foxx, who personally asked for contributions from congressional colleagues and coworkers, God Is in the House features essays from eighteen members of Congress from both political parties, representing eleven faiths and denominations.
August 15, 2016
North Carolina's fifth congressional district is represented by Foxx, a self-identified Catholic-Baptist and Republican, who wants to restore Americans' faith in the churchgoing members of Congress. By collecting short faith testimonies by current and former congressional representatives, Democrats and Republicans, men and women, from across Christian denominations, Foxx pulls back the curtain on Capitol Hill Bible studies and prayer groups, revealing a surprising bipartisan unity when it comes to nurturing one's faith life in the midst of often corrosive politics. Janice Hahn, a Democrat from California and daughter of Church of Christ missionaries, writes, "For me, religious participation removes the toxicity and the feeling that you must hate the other side and question their motives." Sue Myrick, a Methodist and Republican from North Carolina, started the women's Bible study group in Congress. "There were several Bible study groups for male members of Congress," she writes, "but not one for female members." Catholics, Protestants, evangelicals, and others candidly discuss their religious backgrounds, daily practices, the establishment clause of the First Amendment, and public service as an act of faith.