In the fall of 1985, 39-year-old George W. Bush joined the Midland, Texas chapter of Community Bible Study and became one of 120 Midland men who began a rigorous study of the Bible. This evangelical Christian class was a turning point in Bush's personal religious journey. Two class members, Mark Leaverton and Don Poage, talk about the day Bush arrived, what they observed over the months that followed, and the class's impact on George Bush years after he left Midland.

He is, by most accounts, the most openly religious president in generations. What are the core elements of his faith? How has it affected his personal life and political career? And how has faith shaped the president's views on God and government and America's role in the world? Here are the thoughts of some people who have closely observed or interviewed Bush: Doug Wead, a Bush family friend; Wayne Slater, reporter for The Dallas Morning News; John C. Green, author of Religion and the Culture Wars; Steve Waldman, editor-in-chief of Beliefnet; and Jim Wallis, editor-in-chief of Sojourners Magazine.

Compared to recent presidents, how different is George W. Bush's spirituality? Here are the views of E.J. Dionne, Jr., co-chair of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life; Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals; Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention; Wayne Slater of The Dallas Morning News; and Steve Waldman, editor-in-chief of Beliefnet.

While every U.S. president has used religious language in speeches, the kind of Scriptual references and their frequency in President Bush's speeches -- especially after 9/11 -- has drawn attention. Here are the views of E.J. Dionne, Jr., co-chair of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life; Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention; Jim Wallis, editor-in-chief of Sojourners Magazine; Steve Waldman, editor-in-chief of Beliefnet; Doug Wead, Bush family friend; and Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals.

George W. Bush's first executive order as president created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the White House. This action expanded on the "Charitable Choice" provision, passed as part of President Clinton's 1996 welfare reform bill, that allowed smaller and more overtly religious groups to receive government funding for providing social services. Critics of Bush's action -- including some evangelical Christians -- warned that it will lead to the entanglement of the church and the state, hurting both. Supporters said that the president is reversing years of discrimination against religious groups. Offering their views here are: Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals; Amy Black, professor at Wheaton College; Stanley Carlson-Thies of the White House Office for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives; Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention; Jim Wallis, editor-in-chief of Sojourners Magazine; Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, Interfaith Alliance; and E.J. Dionne, Jr., co-chair of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

What has been George W. Bush's impact on America's conservative evangelical Christians? Here are the views of John C. Green, author of Religion and the Culture Wars; Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals; Doug Wead, Bush family friend; Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention; and Steve Waldman, editor-in-chief of Beliefnet.