Raised Episcopalian, McCain now attends a Baptist megachurch in Phoenix. But he has not been baptized and rarely talks of his faith in anything but the broadest terms or as it relates to how it enabled him to survive 5 ½ years in captivity as a POW.

In this way, McCain, 71, is a throwback to an earlier generation when such personal matters were kept personal. To talk of Jesus Christ in the comfortable, matter of fact fashion of the past two baby-boom era presidents would be unthinkable.

What is similarly unthinkable is that a story about McCain's leadership of the faith-based Republican Party could include no discussion of McCain's transformation from Episcopalian to Baptist, especially in the very week he visited his old Episcopal High School.

As I detailed on Tuesday, during this presidential campaign, McCain has shifted positions when it comes to what he religion now considers himself to be. In June 2007, McClatchy reported, "McCain still calls himself an Episcopalian." But as the 2008 South Carolina primary approached, McCain had a convenient-timed change of heart as he appealed to the Palmetto's State's massive evangelical base. By September 2007, McCain announced he had in fact switched teams:

"It plays a role in my life. By the way, I'm not Episcopalian. I'm Baptist."

Ironically, Martin himself on September 17 pooh-poohed the question as to whether McCain was guilty of just-in-time pandering to the legions of Baptist voters in South Carolina:

"Is the fuss in South Carolina because McCain pointed out that he's a Baptist in a heavily-Baptist state?   Or is it just because McCain so rarely talks with any detail about his faith?"

The fuss, as the Carpetbagger Report pointed out, was not merely that John McCain flip-flopped on the subject of his own religious identity, but that congressional directories "all identify McCain as an Episcopalian."

Shining an even brighter spotlight on the question of John McCain's confusing spiritual jouneyl is a recent fawning Reuters portrait of John McCain's Southern Baptist minister of 15 years, the Reverend Dan Yeary. The clear message of the piece ("McCain's Pastor a Sharp Contrast to Obama's") was to highlight John McCain as well within the American mainstream while depicting Democrat Barack Obama as beyond the pale:

That puts Yeary, who heads the church attended for the past 15 years by the Republican presidential candidate firmly in the U.S. Southern Baptist mainstream, and in line with the Republican Party.

He offers a sharp contrast to Democratic contender Barack Obama's former preacher Jeremiah Wright, who has stirred controversy with his fiery comments on race and America.

Given the continued opposition to John McCain from Christian conservative leaders such as James Dobson, Martin is no doubt right that "McCain may ultimately have to offer more than just testimony about his belief in America's civic religion."  McCain, too, needs to clarify a series of  recent faith-based follies, including whether or not he truly believes America is a Christian nation, whether "the most important thing is that I am a Christian," and whether or not Jerry Falwell's ilk are still "agents of intolerance."

A good starting point, though, would just be straight talk from John McCain on what his religion is.  Come to think of it, that could be a good starting point for Jonathan Martin's next story.

* Crossposted at Perrspectives *