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Her views, like those of President Bush, are grounded in Christian ethics. "It shows in both of them a deeply religious foundation that seems to infiltrate nonreligious issues," Scowcroft says. "That is the milieu in which they tend to make decisions."

Rice has not limited her role to traditional national security matters. Zelikow and others say Rice was crucial, along with Secretary of State Colin Powell, in convincing Bush to set aside $200 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. That money is part of a $15 billion package designed to fight AIDS in the most devastated areas, especially southern Africa.

Rice is neither a theologian nor an ethicist. She has never publicly articulated how her biblical faith informs her foreign policy—other than her concern for international justice and peace. What she better articulates and lives is a personal faith that strengthens her in her demanding and controversy-laden calling. That faith flows naturally, even spontaneously.

On New Year's Eve 2002, Rice and some friends traveled to Florida to watch Notre Dame play in the Gator Bowl. After a New Year's Eve dinner, the group had an impromptu prayer meeting in Rice's hotel room.

"It was a totally ecumenical thing," Robinett says. "It didn't matter what your denomination is, your gender or your race or politics. We just laid aside our differences."

They sang "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," White said. Then the group stood, formed a circle, held hands, and "prayed for each other and for the world."

Sheryl Henderson Blunt is a senior news writer for Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also appearing on our site today:

'The Privilege of Struggle' | How Rice understands suffering and prayer.

Hard Line on the Road Map | Can Rice put pressure on the nation she admires?

Christianity Today sister publication Christian Reader profiled Rice last fall:

Condoleezza Rice's Secret Weapon | How our National Security Adviser finds the strength to defend the free world. (September/October 2002)

Bios on Condi Rice are available at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, The White House, and The State Department.

More related coverage includes:

Walking in faith—The Washington Times (August 27, 2002)

Condoleezza Rice: A Talk with the National Security Adviser—NPR (March 1, 2002)

Profile: Condoleezza Rice—BBC (September 25, 2001)

The quiet power of Condi Rice—Newsweek

Previous Christianity Today articles on the faith of the Bush White House include:

The Bush Doctrine | The moral vision that launched the Iraq war has been quietly growing in the President's inner circle. (April 25, 2003)

Texas Pastor James Robison on the Life-Changing Faith of George W. Bush | The president of Life Outreach International talks about his friend's faith, the moral need of America, and his own conversion. (March 11, 2003)

Scrutiny of Bush's Faith Continues with Newsweek Cover Story (March 3, 2003)

Christian Leaders Respond to Bush's National Security Strategy | The White House outlines foreign policy in a changing world. (September 25, 2002)

Bush's Defining Moment | The President, facing a grief-stricken nation under attack, finds his voice and his mission. (November 2, 2001)

The Minister of 'Good Success' | Meet Kirbyjon Caldwell—megachurch pastor, real-estate whiz, community developer, and the President's spiritual confidant. (October 5, 2001)

A Presidential Hopeful's Progress | The spiritual journey of George W. Bush starts in hardscrabble west Texas. Will the White House be his next stop? (September 5, 2000)

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September 2003, Vol. 47, No. 9