Remember this Clinton campaign ad from four months ago? Did it have a religious vibe to you?

Maybe not overtly, but a New York Times piece from yesterday puts it in fascinating context.

Through secular eyes, the advertisement linked Mrs. Clinton to some resolutely uncontroversial concepts — hope, kindness, love, good. In doing so, it sought to soften the perception that she is untrustworthy and unlikable.

From a theological viewpoint, however, the commercial communicated in profound and coded ways. The music evoked a cappella gospel quartets. The text echoed an axiom of the Methodist Church, Mrs. Clinton’s lifelong denomination. The very title of the spot could well have been “Agape and Chesed.”

The Methodist maxim referred to is “do all the good we can, in all the ways we can, for all the people we can.” (“Agape” is a Greek word for God’s love, and “chesed” is a Hebrew word for goodness or mercy, the Times explains.) There was coded religious language at the Democratic National Convention, too.

This repeated adoption of God-talk by liberals signals a shift from the rhetorical norms of the last 40 years in presidential politics. Beginning with the prominent role of the group Moral Majority in Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign, conservative Republicans were the ones linking their political positions to Christian principles. In mobilizing their own constituency, Democrats deplored the specter of religious influence on public policy.

Now those roles have become more contested.

Jennifer A. Herdt, who teaches Christian ethics at Yale Divinity School, told the New York Times that historically, “Liberals have been more comfortable talking about justice than love. What we’re now seeing is the recovery of an understanding of love and justice as connected to each other, this notion of love reviving the heart of democracy. Because democracy has a heart. It’s not just about your individual project. It’s about coming together.”

The notion of love reviving the heart of democracy. God, I hope so. It’s a nice idea.

Pshaw, enough of that, want to watch some recent Clinton attack ads? Have you seen these ones yet?

And speaking of Trump’s racism, you saw that speech Clinton gave last week, right?