Former US president Jimmy Carter has published a study bible filled with his personal reflections on the meaning of scripture and how it has influenced his life. Carter was noted as an active Sunday School teacher prior to his election and returned to that ministry following his retirement. He spoke frequently of his experience of being “born again” in the run up to his election. Carter is also well known for his work with Habitat for Humanity and the reconciliation and peace efforts of his Presidential library.
CNN’s religion blog quotes Carter about his own personal bible study habits and how he worked to appropriately apply what he was reading:
“Long before he worked out of the Oval Office, he and his wife Rosalynn developed the habit of reading a passage of scripture aloud every night: “She would take a turn one night and I would take the next.”
It was a practice they kept up in the White House and continue to this day, reading through the Bible and then starting again at the beginning. Carter said he and Rosalynn have recently been reading a Spanish translation of the Bible to keep up their language skills.
“I tried to put into my services as president the teachings of Christ,” he said. To Carter that meant policies that pushed for peace around the globe and cared for the needy.
“I was very careful to keep religious practice out of my decisions as president except for moral values,” he said.”
There are more details about the study bible at the link above.