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| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes, 2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation. But how true is this claim? In this compact book, David L. Holmes offers a clear, concise and illuminating look at the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers. He begins with an informative account of the religious culture of the late colonial era, surveying the religious groups in each colony. In particular, he sheds light on the various forms of Deism that flourished in America, highlighting the profound influence this intellectual movement had on the founding generation. Holmes then examines the individual beliefs of a variety of men and women who loom large in our national history. He finds that some, like Martha Washington, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson's daughters, held orthodox Christian views. But many of the most influential figures, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Jefferson, James and Dolley Madison, and James Monroe, were believers of a different stripe. Respectful of Christianity, they admired the ethics of Jesus, and believed that religion could play a beneficial role in society. But they tended to deny the divinity of Christ, and a few seem to have been agnostic about the very existence of God. Although the founding fathers were religious men, Holmes shows that it was a faith quite unlike the Christianity of today's evangelicals. Holmes concludes by examining the role of religion in the lives of the presidents since World War II and by reflecting on the evangelical resurgence that helped fuel the reelection of George W. Bush. An intriguing look at a neglected aspect of our history, the book will appeal to American history buffs as well as to anyone concerned about the role of religion in American culture. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Religion of the Founding Fathers David Lynn Holmes, 2003 |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Founding Faith Steven Waldman, 2009-03-10 The culture wars have distorted the dramatic story of how Americans came to worship freely. Many activists on the right maintain that the United States was founded as a “Christian nation.” Many on the left contend that the First Amendment was designed to boldly separate church and state. Neither of these claims is true, argues Beliefnet.com editor in chief Steven Waldman. With refreshing objectivity, Waldman narrates the real story of how our nation’s Founders forged a new approach to religious liberty. Founding Faith vividly describes the religious development of five Founders. Benjamin Franklin melded the Puritan theology of his youth and the Enlightenment philosophy of his adulthood. John Adams’s pungent views on religion stoked his revolutionary fervor and shaped his political strategy. George Washington came to view religious tolerance as a military necessity. Thomas Jefferson pursued a dramatic quest to “rescue” Jesus, in part by editing the Bible. Finally, it was James Madison who crafted an integrated vision of how to prevent tyranny while encouraging religious vibrancy. The spiritual custody battle over the Founding Fathers and the role of religion in America continues today. Waldman at last sets the record straight, revealing the real history of religious freedom to be dramatic, unexpected, paradoxical, and inspiring. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Faiths of Our Fathers Alf J. Mapp, 2003 In this book, the author cuts through historical uncertainty to accurately portray the religious beliefs of 11 of America's founding fathers. (Motivation) |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Founding Fathers and the Debate Over Religion in Revolutionary America Matthew Harris, Thomas Kidd, 2012 Whether America was founded as a Christian nation or as a secular republic is one of the most fiercely debated questions in American history. Historians Matthew Harris and Thomas Kidd offer an authoritative examination of the essential documents needed to understand this debate. The texts included in this volume - writings and speeches from both well-known and obscure early American thinkers - show that religion played a prominent yet fractious role in the era of the American Revolution. In their personal beliefs, the Founders ranged from profound skeptics like Thomas Paine to traditional Christians like Patrick Henry. Nevertheless, most of the Founding Fathers rallied around certain crucial religious principles, including the idea that people were created equal, the belief that religious freedom required the disestablishment of state-backed denominations, the necessity of virtue in a republic, and the role of Providence in guiding the affairs of nations. Harris and Kidd show that through the struggles of war and the framing of the Constitution, Americans sought to reconcile their dedication to religious vitality with their commitment to religious freedom. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: American Gospel Jon Meacham, 2007-03-20 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham reveals how the Founding Fathers viewed faith—and how they ultimately created a nation in which belief in God is a matter of choice. At a time when our country seems divided by extremism, American Gospel draws on the past to offer a new perspective. Meacham re-creates the fascinating history of a nation grappling with religion and politics–from John Winthrop’s “city on a hill” sermon to Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence; from the Revolution to the Civil War; from a proposed nineteenth-century Christian Amendment to the Constitution to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s call for civil rights; from George Washington to Ronald Reagan. Debates about religion and politics are often more divisive than illuminating. Secularists point to a “wall of separation between church and state,” while many conservatives act as though the Founding Fathers were apostles in knee britches. As Meacham shows in this brisk narrative, neither extreme has it right. At the heart of the American experiment lies the God of what Benjamin Franklin called “public religion,” a God who invests all human beings with inalienable rights while protecting private religion from government interference. It is a great American balancing act, and it has served us well. Meacham has written and spoken extensively about religion and politics, and he brings historical authority and a sense of hope to the issue. American Gospel makes it compellingly clear that the nation’s best chance of summoning what Lincoln called “the better angels of our nature” lies in recovering the spirit and sense of the Founding. In looking back, we may find the light to lead us forward. Praise for American Gospel “In his American Gospel, Jon Meacham provides a refreshingly clear, balanced, and wise historical portrait of religion and American politics at exactly the moment when such fairness and understanding are much needed. Anyone who doubts the relevance of history to our own time has only to read this exceptional book.”—David McCullough, author of 1776 “Jon Meacham has given us an insightful and eloquent account of the spiritual foundation of the early days of the American republic. It is especially instructive reading at a time when the nation is at once engaged in and deeply divided on the question of religion and its place in public life.”—Tom Brokaw, author of The Greatest Generation |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Benjamin Franklin Thomas S. Kidd, 2017-05-23 A major new biography, illuminating the great mystery of Benjamin Franklin’s faith Renowned as a printer, scientist, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin also published more works on religious topics than any other eighteenth-century American layperson. Born to Boston Puritans, by his teenage years Franklin had abandoned the exclusive Christian faith of his family and embraced deism. But Franklin, as a man of faith, was far more complex than the “thorough deist” who emerges in his autobiography. As Thomas Kidd reveals, deist writers influenced Franklin’s beliefs, to be sure, but devout Christians in his life—including George Whitefield, the era’s greatest evangelical preacher; his parents; and his beloved sister Jane—kept him tethered to the Calvinist creed of his Puritan upbringing. Based on rigorous research into Franklin’s voluminous correspondence, essays, and almanacs, this fresh assessment of a well-known figure unpacks the contradictions and conundrums faith presented in Franklin’s life. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Faith of Our Founding Fathers Tim LaHaye, LaHaye Tim, 1996-06 Secular textbooks now fill our classrooms, while the Ten Commandments have been removed from their walls. Is this the vision held by those who worked to found this nation? What faith did our founding fathers truly believe and practice in their daily lives, and what does it really matter for us? Were they God-fearing, Bible-believing Christians or simply enlightened Deists, Transcendentalists, and Unitarians? |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders Gregg L. Frazer, 2014-08-15 Were America's Founders Christians or deists? Conservatives and secularists have taken each position respectively, mustering evidence to insist just how tall the wall separating church and state should be. Now Gregg Frazer puts their arguments to rest in the first comprehensive analysis of the Founders' beliefs as they themselves expressed them-showing that today's political right and left are both wrong. Going beyond church attendance or public pronouncements made for political ends, Frazer scrutinizes the Founders' candid declarations regarding religion found in their private writings. Distilling decades of research, he contends that these men were neither Christian nor deist but rather adherents of a system he labels theistic rationalism, a hybrid belief system that combined elements of natural religion, Protestantism, and reason-with reason the decisive element. Frazer explains how this theological middle ground developed, what its core beliefs were, and how they were reflected in the thought of eight Founders: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. He argues convincingly that Congregationalist Adams is the clearest example of theistic rationalism; that presumed deists Jefferson and Franklin are less secular than supposed; and that even the famously taciturn Washington adheres to this theology. He also shows that the Founders held genuinely religious beliefs that aligned with morality, republican government, natural rights, science, and progress. Frazer's careful explication helps readers better understand the case for revolutionary recruitment, the religious references in the Declaration of Independence, and the religious elements-and lack thereof-in the Constitution. He also reveals how influential clergymen, backing their theology of theistic rationalism with reinterpreted Scripture, preached and published liberal democratic theory to justify rebellion. Deftly blending history, religion, and political thought, Frazer succeeds in showing that the American experiment was neither a wholly secular venture nor an attempt to create a Christian nation founded on biblical principles. By showcasing the actual approach taken by these key Founders, he suggests a viable solution to the twenty-first-century standoff over the relationship between church and state-and challenges partisans on both sides to articulate their visions for America on their own merits without holding the Founders hostage to positions they never held. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Faith and the Founders of the American Republic Daniel L. Dreisbach, Mark David Hall, 2014-05 Thirteen essays written by leading scholars explore the impact of a rich variety of religious traditions on the political thought of America's founders. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Religion and the Founding of the American Republic James H. Hutson, 1998 A balanced and lively look at the role of religion between colonization and the 1840s. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Revolutionary Spirits Gary A. Kowalski, 2008 Revolutionary Spirits brings to life the complex creeds and personalities of America's founding fathers, and confronts many of the later myths about the religious views of some of the most notable figures in history. These founders worshiped Nature's God, not the God of the Bible, and sought spiritual inspiration in Creation rather than in the traditional religious creeds. They intended to found a republic of virtue, with the understanding that civic virtue entailed respect for the diverse religious landscape that characterized America from its very beginning. Together, they fashioned a new, democratic faith based on reasoned investigation rather than special revelation, grounded in free inquiry and the right of each individual to approach the Holy in his or her own manner. Offering clear and candid portraits of Franklin, Washington, Paine, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison as both religious reformers and political rebels, Revolutionary Spirits tells the illuminating story of these unorthodox men of faith and thought, and reclaims their spiritual inheritance for us all. -- From publisher's description. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Resistance to Tyrants, Obedience to God Dustin A. Gish, Daniel P. Klinghard, 2013-08-28 Both reason and religion have been acknowledged by scholars to have had a profound impact on the foundation and formation of the American regime. But the significance, pervasiveness, and depth of that impact have also been disputed. While many have approached the American founding period with an interest in the influence of Enlightenment reason or Biblical religion, they have often assumed such influences to be exclusive, irreconcilable, or contradictory. Few scholarly works have sought to study the mutual influence of reason and religion as intertwined strands shaping the American historical and political experience at its founding. The purpose of the chapters in this volume, authored by a distinguished group of scholars in political science, intellectual history, literature, and philosophy, is to examine how this mutual influence was made manifest in the American Founding—especially in the writings, speeches, and thought of critical figures (Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Carroll), and in later works by key interpreters of the American Founding (Alexis de Tocqueville and Abraham Lincoln). Taken as a whole, then, this volume does not attempt to explain away the potential opposition between religion and reason in the American mind of the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth- centuries, but instead argues that there is a uniquely American perspective and political thought that emerges from this tension. The chapters gathered here, individually and collectively, seek to illuminate the animating affect of this tension on the political rhetoric, thought, and history of the early American period. By taking seriously and exploring the mutual influence of these two themes in creative tension, rather than seeing them as diametrically opposed or as mutually exclusive, this volume thus reveals how the pervasiveness and resonance of Biblical narratives and religion supported and infused Enlightened political discourse and action at the Founding, thereby articulating the complementarity of reason and religion during this critical period. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Did America Have a Christian Founding? Mark David Hall, 2019-10-29 A distinguished professor debunks the assertion that America's Founders were deists who desired the strict separation of church and state and instead shows that their political ideas were profoundly influenced by their Christian convictions. In 2010, David Mark Hall gave a lecture at the Heritage Foundation entitled Did America Have a Christian Founding? His balanced and thoughtful approach to this controversial question caused a sensation. C-SPAN televised his talk, and an essay based on it has been downloaded more than 300,000 times. In this book, Hall expands upon this essay, making the airtight case that America's Founders were not deists. He explains why and how the Founders' views are absolutely relevant today, showing that they did not create a godless Constitution; that even Jefferson and Madison did not want a high wall separating church and state; that most Founders believed the government should encourage Christianity; and that they embraced a robust understanding of religious liberty for biblical and theological reasons. This compelling and utterly persuasive book will convince skeptics and equip believers and conservatives to defend the idea that Christian thought was crucial to the nation's founding--and that this benefits all of us, whatever our faith (or lack of faith). |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? John Fea, 2011-02-16 Fea offers an even-handed primer on whether America was founded to be a Christian nation, as many evangelicals assert, or a secular state, as others contend. He approaches the title's question from a historical perspective, helping readers see past the emotional rhetoric of today to the recorded facts of our past. Readers on both sides of the issues will appreciate that this book occupies a middle ground, noting the good points and the less-nuanced arguments of both sides and leading us always back to the primary sources that our shared American history comprises. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Thomas Jefferson's Qur'an Denise Spellberg, 2014-07-01 In this original and illuminating book, Denise A. Spellberg reveals a little-known but crucial dimension of the story of American religious freedom—a drama in which Islam played a surprising role. In 1765, eleven years before composing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson bought a Qur’an. This marked only the beginning of his lifelong interest in Islam, and he would go on to acquire numerous books on Middle Eastern languages, history, and travel, taking extensive notes on Islam as it relates to English common law. Jefferson sought to understand Islam notwithstanding his personal disdain for the faith, a sentiment prevalent among his Protestant contemporaries in England and America. But unlike most of them, by 1776 Jefferson could imagine Muslims as future citizens of his new country. Based on groundbreaking research, Spellberg compellingly recounts how a handful of the Founders, Jefferson foremost among them, drew upon Enlightenment ideas about the toleration of Muslims (then deemed the ultimate outsiders in Western society) to fashion out of what had been a purely speculative debate a practical foundation for governance in America. In this way, Muslims, who were not even known to exist in the colonies, became the imaginary outer limit for an unprecedented, uniquely American religious pluralism that would also encompass the actual despised minorities of Jews and Catholics. The rancorous public dispute concerning the inclusion of Muslims, for which principle Jefferson’s political foes would vilify him to the end of his life, thus became decisive in the Founders’ ultimate judgment not to establish a Protestant nation, as they might well have done. As popular suspicions about Islam persist and the numbers of American Muslim citizenry grow into the millions, Spellberg’s revelatory understanding of this radical notion of the Founders is more urgent than ever. Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an is a timely look at the ideals that existed at our country’s creation, and their fundamental implications for our present and future. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Founding Fathers Melvin Eustace Bradford, 1994 Originally published : A worthy company. Marlborough, N.H. : Plymouth Rock Foundation, 1982. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers Daniel L. Dreisbach, 2017 No book was more accessible or familiar to the American founders than the Bible, and no book was more frequently alluded to or quoted from in the political discourse of the age. How and for what purposes did the founding generation use the Bible? How did the Bible influence their political culture? Shedding new light on some of the most familiar rhetoric of the founding era, Daniel Dreisbach analyzes the founders' diverse use of scripture, ranging from the literary to the theological. He shows that they looked to the Bible for insights on human nature, civic virtue, political authority, and the rights and duties of citizens, as well as for political and legal models to emulate. They quoted scripture to authorize civil resistance, to invoke divine blessings for righteous nations, and to provide the language of liberty that would be appropriated by patriotic Americans. Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers broaches the perennial question of whether the American founding was, to some extent, informed by religious--specifically Christian--ideas. In the sense that the founding generation were members of a biblically literate society that placed the Bible at the center of culture and discourse, the answer to that question is clearly yes. Ignoring the Bible's influence on the founders, Dreisbach warns, produces a distorted image of the American political experiment, and of the concept of self-government on which America is built. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Abrahamic Religions Charles L. Cohen, 2020 Connected by their veneration of the One God proclaimed by Abraham, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share much beyond their origins in the ancient Israel of the Old Testament. This Very Short Introduction explores the intertwined histories of these monotheistic religions, from the emergence of Christianity and Islam to the violence of the Crusades and the cultural exchanges of al-Andalus. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: So Help Me God Forrest Church, 2008-09-08 The author of The American Creed tells “the story of our nation’s historical encounters with God and culture” (Peter J. Gomes, New York Times bestselling author). Today’s dispute over the line between church and state (or the lack thereof) is neither the first nor the fiercest in our history. In a revelatory look at our nation’s birth, Forrest Church recreates our first great culture war—a tumultuous, nearly forgotten conflict that raged from George Washington’s presidency to James Monroe’s. Religion was the most divisive issue in the nation’s early presidential elections. Battles raged over numerous issues while the bible and the Declaration of Independence competed for American affections. The religious political wars reached a vicious peak during the War of 1812; the American victory drove New England’s Christian right to withdraw from electoral politics, thereby shaping our modern sense of church-state separation. No longer entangled, both church and state flourished. Forrest Church has written a rich, page-turning history, a new vision of our earliest presidents’ beliefs that stands as a reminder and a warning for America today. “An illuminating study of the great tangle of our time. If we look back to our early years, we may well find a way forward.” —Jon Meacham, #1 New York Times bestselling author of His Truth is Marching On “In this beautifully crafted and timely work, the aptly named Church takes us through the complex thoughts and actions of the nation’s founders in a way that will give pause to most readers . . . This is an important work that delights and informs.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Founding Myth Andrew L. Seidel, 2021-10-12 Was America founded on Judeo-Christian principles? Are the Ten Commandments the basis for American law? In the paperback edition of this critically acclaimed book, a constitutional attorney settles the debate about religion's role in America's founding. In today's contentious political climate, understanding religion's role in American government is more important than ever. Christian nationalists assert that our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and advocate an agenda based on this popular historical claim. But is this belief true? The Founding Myth answers the question once and for all. Andrew L. Seidel builds his case by comparing the Ten Commandments to the Constitution and contrasting biblical doctrine with America's founding philosophy, showing that the Declaration of Independence contradicts the Bible. Thoroughly researched, this persuasively argued and fascinating book proves that America was not built on the Bible and that Christian nationalism is un-American. Includes a new epilogue reflecting on the role Christian nationalism played in fomenting the January 6, 2021, insurrection in DC and the warnings the nation missed. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Our Country Josiah Strong, 1885 |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Faith of Our Founding Father Janice T. Connell, 2004-01 In Faith of Our Founding Father, author Janice T. Connell examines the spiritual life of our first president. She takes us on a journey from his boyhood, scarred by the early death of his father, to the pinnacle of the Presidency. Washington was no stranger to sorrow, cold, hunger, persecution, violence or terrorism. His great accomplishment was to face misfortune and conquer it. He achieved his victory by discipline, commitment, prayer, and the graced ability to bend his will under the yoke of Divine Providence. Faith of Our Founding Father contains the entire text of the Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation, a text he learned by heart as a young schoolboy and which governed his code of behavior throughout his life. It also contains the full text of his daily prayers, which provided him solace and enriched his faith until the day he died.--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Founding Fathers and the Place of Religion in America Frank Lambert, 2010-07-28 How did the United States, founded as colonies with explicitly religious aspirations, come to be the first modern state whose commitment to the separation of church and state was reflected in its constitution? Frank Lambert explains why this happened, offering in the process a synthesis of American history from the first British arrivals through Thomas Jefferson's controversial presidency. Lambert recognizes that two sets of spiritual fathers defined the place of religion in early America: what Lambert calls the Planting Fathers, who brought Old World ideas and dreams of building a City upon a Hill, and the Founding Fathers, who determined the constitutional arrangement of religion in the new republic. While the former proselytized the one true faith, the latter emphasized religious freedom over religious purity. Lambert locates this shift in the mid-eighteenth century. In the wake of evangelical revival, immigration by new dissenters, and population expansion, there emerged a marketplace of religion characterized by sectarian competition, pluralism, and widened choice. During the American Revolution, dissenters found sympathetic lawmakers who favored separating church and state, and the free marketplace of religion gained legal status as the Founders began the daunting task of uniting thirteen disparate colonies. To avoid discord in an increasingly pluralistic and contentious society, the Founders left the religious arena free of government intervention save for the guarantee of free exercise for all. Religious people and groups were also free to seek political influence, ensuring that religion's place in America would always be a contested one, but never a state-regulated one. An engaging and highly readable account of early American history, this book shows how religious freedom came to be recognized not merely as toleration of dissent but as a natural right to be enjoyed by all Americans. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Jefferson Bible Thomas Jefferson, 2012-03-02 Jefferson regarded Jesus as a moral guide rather than a divinity. In his unique interpretation of the Bible, he highlights Christ's ethical teachings, discarding the scriptures' supernatural elements, to reflect the deist view of religion. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David Lynn Holmes, 2023 Beginning with an account of the religious culture of the late colonial era, this book surveys the religious groups in each colony. It describes the various forms of Deism that flourished in America, highlighting the influence this intellectual movement had on the founding generation. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: God of Liberty Thomas S Kidd, 2010-10-05 A thought-provoking, meticulously researched testament to evangelical Christians' crucial contribution to American independence and a timely appeal for the same spiritual vitality today (Washington Times). At the dawn of the Revolutionary War, America was already a nation of diverse faiths-the First Great Awakening and Enlightenment concepts such as deism and atheism had endowed the colonists with varying and often opposed religious beliefs. Despite their differences, however, Americans found common ground against British tyranny and formed an alliance that would power the American Revolution. In God of Liberty, historian Thomas S. Kidd offers the first comprehensive account of religion's role during this transformative period and how it gave form to our nation and sustained it through its tumultuous birth -- and how it can be a force within our country during times of transition today. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Founding Brothers Joseph J. Ellis, 2002-02-05 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A landmark work of history explores how a group of greatly gifted but deeply flawed individuals—Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, and Madison—confronted the overwhelming challenges before them to set the course for our nation. “A splendid book—humane, learned, written with flair and radiant with a calm intelligence and wit.” —The New York Times Book Review The United States was more a fragile hope than a reality in 1790. During the decade that followed, the Founding Fathers—re-examined here as Founding Brothers—combined the ideals of the Declaration of Independence with the content of the Constitution to create the practical workings of our government. Through an analysis of six fascinating episodes—Hamilton and Burr’s deadly duel, Washington’s precedent-setting Farewell Address, Adams’ administration and political partnership with his wife, the debate about where to place the capital, Franklin’s attempt to force Congress to confront the issue of slavery and Madison’s attempts to block him, and Jefferson and Adams’ famous correspondence—Founding Brothers brings to life the vital issues and personalities from the most important decade in our nation’s history. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: "In God We Trust" Norman Cousins, 1958 This text presents Important religious writings by Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Samuel Adams, John Jay, and Thomas Paine. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: One Nation Under God Kevin M. Kruse, 2015-04-14 The provocative and authoritative history of the origins of Christian America in the New Deal era We're often told that the United States is, was, and always has been a Christian nation. But in One Nation Under God, historian Kevin M. Kruse reveals that the belief that America is fundamentally and formally Christian originated in the 1930s. To fight the slavery of FDR's New Deal, businessmen enlisted religious activists in a campaign for freedom under God that culminated in the election of their ally Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. The new president revolutionized the role of religion in American politics. He inaugurated new traditions like the National Prayer Breakfast, as Congress added the phrase under God to the Pledge of Allegiance and made In God We Trust the country's first official motto. Church membership soon soared to an all-time high of 69 percent. Americans across the religious and political spectrum agreed that their country was one nation under God. Provocative and authoritative, One Nation Under God reveals how an unholy alliance of money, religion, and politics created a false origin story that continues to define and divide American politics to this day. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Godless Constitution Isaac Kramnick, Robert Laurence Moore, R. Laurence Moore, 1997 The Godless Constitution is a ringing rebuke to the religious right's attempts, fueled by misguided and inaccurate interpretations of American history, to dismantle the wall between church and state erected by the country's founders. The authors, both distinguished scholars, revisit the historical roots of American religious freedom, paying particular attention to such figures as John Locke, Roger Williams, and especially Thomas Jefferson, and examine the controversies, up to the present day, over the proper place of religion in our political life. With a new chapter that explores the role of religion in the public life of George W. Bush's America, The Godless Constitution offers a bracing return to the first principles of American governance. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes, 2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation. But how true is this claim? In this compact book, David L. Holmes offers a clear, concise and illuminating look at the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers. He begins with an informative account of the religious culture of the late colonial era, surveying the religious groups in each colony. In particular, he sheds light on the various forms of Deism that flourished in America, highlighting the profound influence this intellectual movement had on the founding generation. Holmes then examines the individual beliefs of a variety of men and women who loom large in our national history. He finds that some, like Martha Washington, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson's daughters, held orthodox Christian views. But many of the most influential figures, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Jefferson, James and Dolley Madison, and James Monroe, were believers of a different stripe. Respectful of Christianity, they admired the ethics of Jesus, and believed that religion could play a beneficial role in society. But they tended to deny the divinity of Christ, and a few seem to have been agnostic about the very existence of God. Although the founding fathers were religious men, Holmes shows that it was a faith quite unlike the Christianity of today's evangelicals. Holmes concludes by examining the role of religion in the lives of the presidents since World War II and by reflecting on the evangelical resurgence that helped fuel the reelection of George W. Bush. An intriguing look at a neglected aspect of our history, the book will appeal to American history buffs as well as to anyone concerned about the role of religion in American culture. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: The God Factor Cathleen Falsani, 2006-03-07 When religion reporter Cathleen Falsani climbed aboard Bono's tour bus, it was to interview the rock start about AIDS awareness. Instead, they plunged into a lively discussion about faith. This is a defining moment for us, Bono said. For the culture we live in. Spirituality clearly now plays a key role in the United States. But what is also clear is that faith is a more complex issue than snapshots of the country convey. Jesus. Buddha. Kabbalah. Angels. This may be a nation of believers but not of one belief—of many. To shape a candid picture of modern faith, Falsani sat down with an array of people who shape our culture, and in turn, our collective consciousness. She's talked about Jesus with Anne Rice; explored Playboy theology with Hugh Hefner; discussed evil with crusading attorney Barry Scheck, and heaven with Senator Barack Obama. Laura Esquivel, basketball star Hakeem Olajuwon, Studs Terkel, guru Iyanla Vanzant, rockers Melissa Etheridge and Annie Lennox, economist Jeffrey Sachs, Pulitzer-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley—all opened up to her. The resulting interviews, more than twenty-five in all, offer a fresh, occasionally controversial, and always illuminating look at the beliefs that shape our lives. THE GOD FACTOR is a book for the believers, the seekers, as well as the merely curious among us. Included are interviews with Sherman Alexie, Bono, Dusty Baker, Sandra Bernhard, Sandra Cisneros, Billy Corgan, Kurt Elling, Laura Esquivel, Melissa Etheridge, Jonathan Safran Foer, Mike Gerson, Seamus Heaney, Hugh Hefner, Dr. Henry Lee, Annie Lennox, David Lynch, John Mahoney, Mark Morris, Mancow Muller, Senator Barack Obama, Hakeem Olajuwon, Harold Ramis, Anne Rice, Tom Robbins, Russell Simmons, Jeffrey Sachs , Barry Scheck, John Patrick Shanley , The Reverend Al Sharpton, Studs Terkel, Iyanla Vanzant, and Elie Wiesel. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: America's Founding Fathers and the Bible Stephen A. Flick, Ph.d., 2017-01-04 Contrary to the contemporary mantra that America was birthed as a secular nation, the historical evidence demonstrates that America was founded by Christians who wished to enjoy the liberty to freely express their Christian faith. Lamentably, Christians have forgotten and neglected the Christian heritage bequeathed to them by America's Founding Fathers and have allowed secularists to disparage and deny what was given to them at such a great price. America's Founding Fathers and the Bible briefly describes a portion of America's Christian heritage, particularly during the rise of nationalism when America was shaping its national government. During this era, the Founding Fathers affirmed both the principles and practices of the Bible. By no means exhaustive, this work demonstrates that America's Founding Fathers clearly intended to perpetuate the Christian faith, in both private and public observances. The Founding Fathers left a legacy of publicly honoring the principles of Christianity and fully intended that succeeding generations of Americans should do the same. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Kingdom of Nauvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier Benjamin E. Park, 2020-02-25 Best Book Award • Mormon History Association A brilliant young historian excavates the brief life of a lost Mormon city, uncovering a “grand, underappreciated saga in American history” (Wall Street Journal). In Kingdom of Nauvoo, Benjamin E. Park draws on newly available sources to re-create the founding and destruction of the Mormon city of Nauvoo. On the banks of the Mississippi in Illinois, the early Mormons built a religious utopia, establishing their own army and writing their own constitution. For those offenses and others—including the introduction of polygamy, which was bitterly opposed by Emma Smith, the iron-willed first wife of Joseph Smith—the surrounding population violently ejected the Mormons, sending them on their flight to Utah. Throughout his absorbing chronicle, Park shows how the Mormons of Nauvoo were representative of their era, and in doing so elevates Mormon history into the American mainstream. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: America's Religious History Thomas S. Kidd, 2019-11-12 Religion, race, and American history. America's Religious History is an up-to-date, narrative-based introduction to the unique role of faith in American history. Moving beyond present-day polemics to understand the challenges and nuances of our religious past, leading historian Thomas S. Kidd interweaves religious history and key events from the larger story of American history, including: The Great Awakening The American Revolution Slavery and the Civil War Civil rights and church-state controversy Immigration, religious diversity, and the culture wars Useful for both classroom and personal study, America's Religious History provides a balanced, authoritative assessment of how faith has shaped American life and politics. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Sacred Liberty Steven Waldman, 2019-05-07 Sacred Liberty offers a dramatic, sweeping survey of how America built a unique model of religious freedom, perhaps the nation’s “greatest invention.” Steven Waldman, the bestselling author of Founding Faith, shows how early ideas about religious liberty were tested and refined amidst the brutal persecution of Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, Quakers, African slaves, Native Americans, Muslims, Jews and Jehovah’s Witnesses. American leaders drove religious freedom forward--figures like James Madison, George Washington, the World War II presidents (Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower) and even George W. Bush. But the biggest heroes were the regular Americans – people like Mary Dyer, Marie Barnett and W.D. Mohammed -- who risked their lives or reputations by demanding to practice their faiths freely. Just as the documentary Eyes on the Prize captured the rich drama of the civil rights movement, Sacred Liberty brings to life the remarkable story of how America became one of the few nations in world history that has religious freedom, diversity and high levels of piety at the same time. Finally, Sacred Liberty provides a roadmap for how, in the face of modern threats to religious freedom, this great achievement can be preserved. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Under the Banner of Heaven Jon Krakauer, 2004-06-08 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities. • Now an acclaimed FX limited series streaming on HULU. “Fantastic.... Right up there with In Cold Blood and The Executioner’s Song.” —San Francisco Chronicle Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities. At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, and unyielding faith. Along the way he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America’s fastest growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief. |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: From Jesus to Christ Paula Fredriksen, 2008-10-01 Magisterial. . . . A learned, brilliant and enjoyable study.—Géza Vermès, Times Literary Supplement In this exciting book, Paula Fredriksen explains the variety of New Testament images of Jesus by exploring the ways that the new Christian communities interpreted his mission and message in light of the delay of the Kingdom he had preached. This edition includes an introduction reviews the most recent scholarship on Jesus and its implications for both history and theology. Brilliant and lucidly written, full of original and fascinating insights.—Reginald H. Fuller, Journal of the American Academy of Religion This is a first-rate work of a first-rate historian.—James D. Tabor, Journal of Religion Fredriksen confronts her documents—principally the writings of the New Testament—as an archaeologist would an especially rich complex site. With great care she distinguishes the literary images from historical fact. As she does so, she explains the images of Jesus in terms of the strategies and purposes of the writers Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.—Thomas D’Evelyn, Christian Science Monitor |
| the faiths of the founding fathers: Religion in American Politics Frank Lambert, 2010-02-21 The acclaimed author of The Barbary Wars offers a critical analysis of the often uneasy relationship between religion and politics in the United States from the Founding Fathers to the twenty-first century. |
How Religious Were the Founders?
In this episode, we explore how the founding generation understood the role of religion in public life, and we examine the original understanding of the free exercise and establishment clauses.
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers - centerforhealthyhousing
in a scholarly yet accessible work bernstein reveals the founding fathers not as shining demigods but as imperfect human beings who nevertheless achieved political greatness
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers PDF - cdn.bookey.app
By examining the personal correspondences, public statements, and private reflections of pivotal figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, Holmes …
Book Review of Faiths of the Founding Fathers
David Holmes has provided us with a lucid and compact account of the range of religious understandings of the late eighteenth century, which he characterizes as the 'faiths" of the …
0195300920.pdf - api.pageplace.de
In North Carolina they established the town of The Faiths of the Founding Fathers Salem; in Pennsylvania they settled Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Lititz. All of these towns were initially …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (Download Only)
This volume will be a crucial resource for anyone interested in the place of faith in the founding of the American constitutional republic, from political, religious, historical, and legal perspectives.
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers - old.amaniafrica
grand in its sweep this survey of the sacred writings of the major religions of the world offers a thoughtful introduction to the ideas and beliefs upon which great faiths are built under the …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (PDF)
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Religion of the Founding Fathers David Lynn Holmes,2003 The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05 In this compact …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers Copy
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation But how true is this claim In …
Christian Quotes of our Nation’s Founding Fathe
These Christian quotes of the founding fathers will give you an overview of their strong moral and spiritual convictions which helped form the foundations of our nation and our government.
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers [PDF]
Find out in Faith and Freedom—The Founding Fathers in Their Own Words. This brand-new survey of the founders’ beliefs provides easy-to- read biographical and historical details along …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers Copy
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation But how true is this claim In …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (PDF)
But how true is this claim? In this compact book, David L. Holmes offers a clear, concise and illuminating look at the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers. He begins with an informative …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (book)
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian …
Faiths of our founding fathers - donnanderson.us
I’d suggest caution if you examine the religious affiliations of the Founding Fathers. For example of those who signed the Declaration of Independence: 32 are listed as Episcopalian/Anglican, …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (2024)
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (2024) - mrspriss.com
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (2024)
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation But how true is this claim In …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian …
Religion and the Founding Fathers - National Archives
The March 2002 issue of Annotation begins with John P Kaminski's Religion and the Founding Fathers," based in large part upon documentary editions supported by the NHPRC.The other …
How Religious Were the Founders?
In this episode, we explore how the founding generation understood the role of religion in public life, and we examine the original understanding of the free exercise and establishment clauses.
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers - centerforhealthyhousing
in a scholarly yet accessible work bernstein reveals the founding fathers not as shining demigods but as imperfect human beings who nevertheless achieved political greatness
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers PDF - cdn.bookey.app
By examining the personal correspondences, public statements, and private reflections of pivotal figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, Holmes …
Book Review of Faiths of the Founding Fathers
David Holmes has provided us with a lucid and compact account of the range of religious understandings of the late eighteenth century, which he characterizes as the 'faiths" of the …
0195300920.pdf - api.pageplace.de
In North Carolina they established the town of The Faiths of the Founding Fathers Salem; in Pennsylvania they settled Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Lititz. All of these towns were initially …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (Download Only)
This volume will be a crucial resource for anyone interested in the place of faith in the founding of the American constitutional republic, from political, religious, historical, and legal perspectives.
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers - old.amaniafrica
grand in its sweep this survey of the sacred writings of the major religions of the world offers a thoughtful introduction to the ideas and beliefs upon which great faiths are built under the expert …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (PDF)
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Religion of the Founding Fathers David Lynn Holmes,2003 The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05 In this compact book the author …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers Copy
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation But how true is this claim In this …
Christian Quotes of our Nation’s Founding Fathe
These Christian quotes of the founding fathers will give you an overview of their strong moral and spiritual convictions which helped form the foundations of our nation and our government.
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers [PDF]
Find out in Faith and Freedom—The Founding Fathers in Their Own Words. This brand-new survey of the founders’ beliefs provides easy-to- read biographical and historical details along with …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers Copy
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation But how true is this claim In this …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (PDF)
But how true is this claim? In this compact book, David L. Holmes offers a clear, concise and illuminating look at the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers. He begins with an informative …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (book)
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation …
Faiths of our founding fathers - donnanderson.us
I’d suggest caution if you examine the religious affiliations of the Founding Fathers. For example of those who signed the Declaration of Independence: 32 are listed as Episcopalian/Anglican, 13 as …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (2024)
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (2024) - mrspriss.com
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers (2024)
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation But how true is this claim In this …
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers
The Faiths Of The Founding Fathers: The Faiths of the Founding Fathers David L. Holmes,2006-05-01 It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation …
