The Faiths of the Founding Fathers

by Holmes, David L.

• ISBN13: 9780195300925
• ISBN10: 0195300920
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-05-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

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