James Earl Carter Jr., who died Sunday at the age of 100, was driven by his Baptist faith, perhaps an unusual commitment for a Democrat in the 1980s as evangelicals rallied to the Republican Party. Two of his books are aptly titled “Faith: A Journey for All” and “Keeping Faith.”
In the former, he wrote, “I believe now, more than then, that Christians are called to plunge into the life of the world and to inject the moral and ethical values of our faith into the processes of governing.”
There were missteps for the 39th president: an energy crisis; the failed storming of the U.S. embassy in Tehran and a decision to boycott the 1980 Olympics Games in Moscow.
He lost his re-election bid that year to Ronald Reagan, a signal that old school liberalism might be on the decline despite Carter’s attempts to be the face of the new Democratic Party.
There were successes, of course.
His administration would claim 8 million new jobs. He responded to energy shortages by encouraging petroleum production. His expansion of the national park system protected 103 million acres of Alaskan land. He appointed a promising number of Blacks, Hispanics and women to government jobs.
And he triumphed at the Camp David Middle East summit, one element that led to his Nobel Peace Prize.
But his greatest role might have come after he left office.
He found a humanitarian purpose where other ex-presidents did not. And as with his entire life, he admirably performed that purpose with his wife, Rosalynn. (Americans might recall the couple walking hand-in-hand down Pennsylvania Avenue during the inaugural parade.)
Also in “Faith, A Journey for All,” published in 2018, he explained, “For the past 35 years, Rosalynn and I have spent at least one week each year building homes for poor people in need for Habitat for Humanity, founded by Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda.
“It is difficult to describe the emotions of our Habitat workdays, where we see extraordinary commitments and lives changed among formerly forgotten people. The deep Christian faith, vision and dedication of Millard and Linda Fuller have also helped to change our lives.”
Carter and his wife were also passionately involved in other humanitarian work through the Carter Center, a nonpartisan human rights organization the couple founded in 1982. Rosalynn died Nov. 19, 2023, at the age of 96.
In memorializing the life of Jimmy Carter, future biographers and historians will wisely point to the man’s faith. They may also find that his love for mankind grew stronger in his post-presidency.
Carter didn’t betray his faith. He lived a life that celebrated it.
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