MANCHESTER, N.H. – This time, it's the Democrats who are talking about faith in politics and the Republicans with a religion problem.

At campaign stops, White House hopeful Barack Obama borrows from the call-and-response of church sanctuaries, punctuating his talking points with "Amen."

Former Sen. John Edwards, of North Carolina, who grew up Baptist but is now Methodist, regularly frames his ideas about combating poverty in moral terms.

And at a conference this week for the Democratic front-runners in the race, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York told liberal evangelicals how prayer and the religious faith of friends helped her cope with her husband's infidelity.

For two decades, Republicans have attracted socially conservative voters by making morality – especially views about abortion and homosexuality – central to their political message.

Now Democrats for the White House in 2008 are invoking values to advance their political agenda.

"This is a reverse from past elections," said John Green, a political science professor at the University of Akron. "The top Democratic candidates seem to be doing this with a great deal more comfort."

Democrats don't expect to win over the religious right, which remains steadfastly with the GOP. But by broadening the values debate to include the environment, poverty, health care and the Iraq war, they hope to attract moderate Catholics, mainline Protestants and some evangelicals.

"We no longer have a two-issue conversation about faith and politics," said the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners, which sponsored the forum.

Ralph Reed, former executive director of the Christian Coalition, said the Democrats' appeal to active churchgoers won't work.

"You can't take the same tired, discredited liberal agenda of higher taxes, government-run health care, abortion on demand, cut and run in Iraq, retreat rather than a forward strategy in the war on terrorism, and by putting a religious veneer on it and quoting some Scripture, cause religious conservative voters to respond," he said.

As a candidate in 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush openly discussed religious values. He won with strong support not only from Christian conservatives, the GOP's most reliable voter bloc, but also moderate Protestants and Catholics.

The Republican front-runners this year have found appealing to churchgoers more problematic.

Some Christian conservative leaders have turned thumbs down on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a divorced Catholic and supporter of abortion rights. Arizona Sen. John McCain angered religious groups that believe his campaign-finance law makes it more difficult to communicate with members. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is a member of the Mormon Church – which many evangelicals regard as a non-Christian sect – and only a recent convert to the anti-abortion side.

As a measure of the tension on the GOP side, a reporter got this reply when asking how Mr. Giuliani's religious faith would inform his public policy: "The mayor's personal relationship with God is private and between him and God."

Republicans have acknowledged publicly that their front-runners are having trouble reaching the conservative voting base. Meanwhile, the GOP candidates who are connecting with religious conservatives, including Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, are far behind in the field.

On Monday in Washington, this year's Democratic front-runners were warmly applauded by 1,300 people in a college auditorium at the conference themed: "Faith Guiding Our Votes."

The event reflected the advice of some Democratic political professionals who say the party has been too wary of offending secular voters and must do a better job expressing a clear moral vision.

"I come from a tradition that is perhaps a little too suspicious of people who wear their faith on their sleeves, so a lot of the talk about advertising your faith doesn't come naturally to me," Mrs. Clinton told the crowd.

She then talked at length about God and faith in specific language resonant to a religious audience, citing "prayer warriors" and "prayer chains" and how she "had a grounding in faith that gave me the courage and strength to do what I thought was right, regardless of what the world thought."

The event, under a huge banner with a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King at the pulpit, began with a gospel group and included questions from the audience, including one from a Florida evangelist who said he was anti-abortion but asked whether there was "common ground" on a larger social justice agenda.

The Clinton, Obama and Edwards campaigns each have assigned a staffer to reach out to religious voters ­ something Democratic nominee John Kerry didn't do until well into the 2004 general election.

"I think religious folks are tired of being divided from one another," said Joshua DuBois, director of religious affairs for the Obama campaign. "It takes a lot of energy to overlook the seminal verses in the Bible about love and about poverty just to focus on the couple that get you riled up."

A recent Pew Research Center study found an increase in public support to help the poor ­ 69 percent of Americans believe "government should care for those who can't care for themselves," up 12 percent from a decade ago. It also found that Americans have become less conservative on the traditional social values that nourished the Religious Right.

Alexia Kelley, executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, said a moral agenda means more than a single issue such as gay marriage or abortion.

"Commitment to one issue doesn't exhaust one's commitment to the common good," she said.

In 2004, nearly 60 percent of weekly churchgoers voted Republican. That number dropped to 55 percent in 2006 – a trend noted by political strategists who recognize that even a slight shift in voter attitudes can change the outcome of a presidential race.

A key to winning voters, said Democratic consultant Glenn Smith of Austin, is authenticity.

"The public doesn't want to hear politicians pick Bible quotes and wave religion as a flag," he said. "You've got to be real about it."

After this week's forum in Washington, conference-goers gathered in the large lobby of a campus building for a wine-and-hors d'oeuvres reception. Mr. Wallis said Sojourners is planning a similar conference for Republicans in the fall.

"Even the best politician can't change the big issues without a movement," he said. "Lyndon Johnson didn't become a civil rights president until Martin Luther King.

"And so we're building a movement now, not partisan but on issues. I think you're going to see a whole different conversation about religion and politics in 2008."

The reception was filled with community organizers, students, pastors, campaign representatives and a few aging lions of the civil rights movement.

Among them was Julian Bond, civil rights advocate and president of the NAACP. He is a thin and graceful man with white hair now. And when he left, he threaded his way through the crowd and into the street where a car was waiting.

Elsewhere, people dispersed in every direction carrying signs that said, "Make Poverty History."

Here's what the presidential campaigns say about Democratic candidates' religious affiliations:

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden Roman Catholic, attends services at either St. Patrick's or St. Joseph's in Wilmington, Del., when his schedule permits.

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton

A "practicing Methodist who attends church as often as possible."

Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd Catholic, attends services in Washington and Connecticut and when traveling.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards

Methodist, is a member of the Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, N.C., but is looking for a church near his new home in Chapel Hill.

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich Catholic, is a member of St. Aloysius in Cleveland, attends services "not often."

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama United Church of Christ, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, attends services "frequently, when at home on Sundays."

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson

Associated Press

Here's what the presidential campaigns say about Republican candidates' religious habits:

Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback: Catholic, attends two services on Sundays – Mass in the morning at Christ the King Catholic Church in Topeka and then services at Topeka Bible (evangelical Christian) with his family. He tries to go to daily Mass when he can. When in Washington, he attends St. Joseph's on Capitol Hill.

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore: Methodist, is a member of River Road United Methodist in Richmond He "attends his home church as often as his travel schedule allows."

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: Catholic. "The mayor's personal relationship with God is private and between him and God."

California Rep. Duncan Hunter: Baptist, is a member of Trinity Baptist Church in El Cajon, attends services almost every Sunday but usually elsewhere because he's often traveling.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: Southern Baptist, a member of The Church at Rock Creek in Little Rock, attends services "every Sunday he's in town."

Arizona Sen. John McCain: Episcopalian, but his four youngest children are Baptist and he attends the North Phoenix Baptist Church when he is home.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul: Is a Baptist.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; attends services weekly at a Mormon temple in Belmont.

Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo: Presbyterian, member of the Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch and attends services "every week I am home."

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson: Catholic, is a member of St. Peter's in Madison and attends services weekly.

Associated Press