Religious affiliations of Presidents of the United States body. Protestants predominate, with Episcopalians and Presbyterians being the most prevalent. There have been four Nontrinitarian presidents, and a single Roman Catholic president (John F. Kennedy). No president thus far has been openly an atheist. However, it has been acknowledged that two US Presidents—Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Johnson—had no religious affiliation. Most presidents have been formal members of a particular church or religious body, and a specific affiliation can be assigned to every president from James A. Garfield on. For many earlier presidents, however, formal church membership was forestalled until they left office; and in several cases a president never
Religious affiliations of Presidents of the United States it is difficult to assess whether the presidents in question were irreligious, were unorthodox in their beliefs, or simply believed that religion was not a matter for public revelation. On the other hand, there are several presidents who considered themselves aligned with a particular church, but who withheld from formal affiliation for a time. James Buchanan, for instance, held himself allied with the Presbyterian church, but refrained from joining it until he left office. Some presidents changed their beliefs and affiliation at some point in their lives; synthesis of statements and membership from different periods can be misleading. Deism was