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9780195300925

The Faiths of the Founding Fathers

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780195300925

  • ISBN10:

    0195300920

  • Format: Hardcover
  • Copyright: 2006-05-01
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press

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Summary

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.

Author Biography


David L. Holmes is Walter G. Mason Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. He is the author of A Brief History of the Episcopal Church, A Nation Mourns, other books, and numerous articles.

Table of Contents

Religion in the American Colonies in 1770
1(32)
The Sects
3(2)
Tolerant Pennsylvania
5(3)
The Mainline Churches
8(1)
Religion in New England
9(6)
Religion in the Middle Colonies
15(3)
Religion in the Southern Colonies
18(7)
The Rise of the Evangelical Tradition in America
25(8)
The Anglican Tradition and the Virginia Founding Fathers
33(6)
The Enlightenment Religion of Deism
39(10)
The Founding Fathers and Deism
49(4)
The Religious Views of Benjamin Franklin
53(6)
The Religious Views of George Washington
59(14)
The Religious Views of John Adams
73(6)
The Religious Views of Thomas Jefferson
79(12)
The Religious Views of James Madison
91(8)
The Religious Views of James Monroe
99(10)
The Wives and Daughters of the Founding Fathers
109(24)
The Appeal of Christian Orthodoxy to Women
109(3)
Martha Custis Washington
112(3)
Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis
115(2)
Abigail Smith Adams
117(4)
Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson
121(1)
Jefferson's Daughters: Martha Jefferson Randolph and Maria Jefferson Eppes
122(3)
Dolley Payne Madison
125(8)
A Layperson's Guide to Distinquishing a Deist from an Orthodox Christian
133(10)
Three Orthodox Christians
143(18)
Samuel Adams
143(7)
Elias Boudinot
150(4)
John Jay
154(7)
The Past Is a Foreign Country
161(4)
Epilogue 165(22)
Notes 187(16)
Bibliography 203(8)
Illustration Credits 211(4)
Index 215

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