Former President Jimmy Carter has spent more than a year in hospice care, per Northeastern Global News. His end-of-life experience has been quite different than what most hospice patients experience, just like his life has been quite different than how most Americans live.
Carter’s long, illustrious career encompassed major historic events, memorable peacemaking initiatives and important political moves.
Throughout it, he often leaned on his religion for strength and comfort. Let’s dive into the faith of the former president.
How is Jimmy Carter doing?
Carter entered end-of-life care in February 2023, and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, died in November 2023, according to Northeastern Global News.
While statistics show that most end-of-life care patients usually pass away within the first six months of their stay, the former president has defied the odds.
This past February, he celebrated one year in hospice care, and he’s now three months away from his 100th birthday.
“President Carter continues to be at home with his family,” his family stated in February. “The family is pleased that his decision last year to enter hospice care has sparked so many family discussions across the country on an important subject.”
Carter’s time in hospice follows an unusually long and active career that includes farming, politics and human rights.
What does Jimmy Carter believe about God?
Carter is a devout Christian who has even served as a Sunday School teacher, according to WRBL. His faith journey gained national attention in 1976, when The New York Times labeled him a “a deeply committed evangelical Christian,” per Gallup. Some called him America’s “Evangelical-in-Chief.”
However, Carter’s beliefs do not entirely align with the beliefs that are generally associated with evangelicals today, per Gallup. Among other things, he believes that women should be able to be ordained and that homosexuality is not a sin.
Carter distanced himself from the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000 as the denomination grew more politically and theologically conservative.
“I’m familiar with the verses they have quoted about wives being subjugated to their husbands,” he told reporters, per ABC. “In my opinion, this is a distortion of the meaning of scripture. … I personally feel the Bible says all people are equal in the eyes of God. I personally feel that women should play an absolutely equal role in service of Christ in the church.”
Carter strongly emphasized his equal partnership with his wife, Rosalynn, throughout his career.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Carter said in a statement on Rosalynn Carter’s death, according to the National Catholic Reporter. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it.”
The Carters worshipped together at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, where they contributed to humanitarian, teaching and worship efforts.
How did faith play into Jimmy Carter’s career?
Carter took faith seriously not just in private but also in public, according to The Conversation. He was especially direct when he announced his candidacy in 1974, describing himself to the media as “a farmer, an engineer, a businessman, a planner, a scientist, a governor, and a Christian.”
Christianity played a large role in his behind-the-scenes work. He cited scripture in interviews and speeches and drew strength from prayers while making important decisions.
“The most fervent and constant prayers of mine were while I was in the White House because I knew there was enormous responsibility on my shoulders, and we faced some very difficult decisions, too, concerning the lives of tens of thousands of people,” he said in an interview with WRBL. “So I prayed for wisdom and for God’s guidance that I wouldn’t make a mistake, that I could keep my country at peace and still preserve its integrity and security. Those are the kinds of things for which I prayed.”
His moral values played a role in some of his major initiatives, including the Camp David Accords, the transfer of Panama Canal ownership back to Panama and his ongoing support for Habitat for Humanity, per The Conversation.
“He tried to put human rights at the center of foreign policy,” said historian David Greenberg, per Rutgers.
Many of Carter’s decisions reflected his faith-based commitment to service and to the welfare of the people around him.
“My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have, to try to make a difference,” Carter once said, according to WRBL.
Correction: The article originally stated that former President Jimmy Carter turned 100 in February. His birthday is on Oct. 1, and he’s currently 99.