Revolutionary Spirits The Enlightened Faith of America's Founding Fathers

by Kowalski, Gary

• ISBN13: 9781933346304
• ISBN10: 1933346302
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-07-01
• Publisher: Bluebridge

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Gary Kowalski is the senior minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, Vermont. He is the author of Goodbye, Friend; Science and the Search for God; and The Souls of Animals. He lives in Burlington, Vermont.

Table of Contents

Revolutionary Spirits: Introduction	p. 1
Natures Nation and Nature's God: Liberals and Deists	p. 11
Beyond Black Arts and Witchcraft: The Progress of Enlightenment	p. 27
A Reasonable Creature: The Faith of Benjamin Franklin	p. 45
To Bigotry No Sanction: The Faith of George Washington	p. 65
My Own Mind Is My Own Church: The Faith of Thomas Paine	p. 87
Delight, Joy, Triumph, Exaltation: The Faith of John Adams	p. 109
Question with Boldness: The Faith of Thomas Jefferson	p. 129
The Dictates of Conscience: The Faith of James Madison	p. 157
Reclaiming the Spirit of the Founders Conclusion	p. 185
Endnotes	p. 197
Bibliography	p. 205
Index	p. 211
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