What do you think?
Rate this book
The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders: Reason, Revelation, Revolution
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.
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.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2012
36 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Gregg L. Frazer
2 booksGregg L. Frazer is professor of history and political studies and Dean of the School of Humanities at The Master’s University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 2, 2020
This is an important book. It is important for anyone who wants to think deeply about the intersection of Christianity and US politics. And, though academic and thoroughly researched, it is a delightful read for anyone interested in theology and US history.
Frazer takes aim at two opponents in this book: those who claim America's founders were completely secular and those who claim they were devout Christians. So he argues against the "Christian America" notion that Adams and Washington were Christians, but then shifts gears and argues against the secularist consensus that Franklin and Jefferson were deists. Frazer convincingly argues that the founding fathers were somewhere in between, a hybrid of rationalism and Christianity that he calls "theistic rationalism." The ramifications continue to this day as the US is infected with a national religion that is a cocktail of generic Christianity, inclusivity, politics, natural rights, patriotism, and morality.
Personal take-away: Frazer notes that the average pew member in the 18th century knew Lockean ideas, not because they had read Locke but because they had heard them preached as gospel truth from the pulpit (86). Gospel ministers must believe in the sufficiency of Scripture, beware of accepting/repeating the false philosophies of the day, and stick to preaching the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.
Frazer takes aim at two opponents in this book: those who claim America's founders were completely secular and those who claim they were devout Christians. So he argues against the "Christian America" notion that Adams and Washington were Christians, but then shifts gears and argues against the secularist consensus that Franklin and Jefferson were deists. Frazer convincingly argues that the founding fathers were somewhere in between, a hybrid of rationalism and Christianity that he calls "theistic rationalism." The ramifications continue to this day as the US is infected with a national religion that is a cocktail of generic Christianity, inclusivity, politics, natural rights, patriotism, and morality.
Personal take-away: Frazer notes that the average pew member in the 18th century knew Lockean ideas, not because they had read Locke but because they had heard them preached as gospel truth from the pulpit (86). Gospel ministers must believe in the sufficiency of Scripture, beware of accepting/repeating the false philosophies of the day, and stick to preaching the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.
May 4, 2016
A tremendously helpful book. I've spent quite a bit of time with proponents of Christian America and have longed for a resource I could recommend that would challenge their understanding of the Founders' religious beliefs. Prior to the publication of Frazer's book in 2012, all I could do was suggest a holistic reading of primary sources. But this is the resource I was looking for.
Frazer's book cogently addresses what the Founders believed about God, contrasting their views both with deism and with Christianity. Of the Founders looked at, each one subscribed to what Frazer calls theistic rationalism. Frazer takes a chapter to look at the 18C divines (e.g., Joseph Priestly) who influenced the Founders' religious beliefs; one to look at John Adams; another to look at Jefferson and Franklin; another to look at Gouverneur Morris, Madison, Hamilton, and some other lesser-known Founders; another to look at George Washington; and a final chapter to look at the lasting significance of theistic rationalism. Each of these chapters is excellent, allowing the key figures to speak for themselves, giving greater priority in general to statements made in personal correspondence than in public speeches and writings. All of careful historical work demonstrates that none of these figures were deists; in contrast, each of them believed that God providentially governs history, intervenes in it occasionally, and hears and responds to prayers. But this work also demonstrates that none of these figures were Christians: none of them believed in the deity of Christ or in any sort of atonement for sin, and Adams went so far as to say that he wouldn't believe in the Trinity even if God himself affirmed the Trinity to Adams on Mount Sinai.
So how would we summarize theistic rationalism? Frazer says they "believed in a powerful, rational, and benevolent creator God who established the laws by which the universe functioned. Their God was a unitary personal God who was present and active and who intervened in human affairs. Consequently, they believed that prayers were heard and effectual. They believed the main factor in serving God was living a good and moral life, that promotion of morality was central to the value of religion, and that the morality engendered by religion was indispensable to society. Because virtually all religions promoted morality, they believed that many--perhaps all--religious traditions or systems were valid and led to the same God.... Though [they] did not believe that jesus was God, they considered Him a great moral teacher and held a higher view of Him than did most deists. They believed in a personal afterlife in which the wicked would be temporarily punished and the good would experience happiness forever.... Reason was the ultimate standard for learning and evaluating truth and for determining legitimate revelation from God" (19-20).
As Frazer rightly notes, the beliefs described above do not square with Christianity or with deism.
Frazer's book cogently addresses what the Founders believed about God, contrasting their views both with deism and with Christianity. Of the Founders looked at, each one subscribed to what Frazer calls theistic rationalism. Frazer takes a chapter to look at the 18C divines (e.g., Joseph Priestly) who influenced the Founders' religious beliefs; one to look at John Adams; another to look at Jefferson and Franklin; another to look at Gouverneur Morris, Madison, Hamilton, and some other lesser-known Founders; another to look at George Washington; and a final chapter to look at the lasting significance of theistic rationalism. Each of these chapters is excellent, allowing the key figures to speak for themselves, giving greater priority in general to statements made in personal correspondence than in public speeches and writings. All of careful historical work demonstrates that none of these figures were deists; in contrast, each of them believed that God providentially governs history, intervenes in it occasionally, and hears and responds to prayers. But this work also demonstrates that none of these figures were Christians: none of them believed in the deity of Christ or in any sort of atonement for sin, and Adams went so far as to say that he wouldn't believe in the Trinity even if God himself affirmed the Trinity to Adams on Mount Sinai.
So how would we summarize theistic rationalism? Frazer says they "believed in a powerful, rational, and benevolent creator God who established the laws by which the universe functioned. Their God was a unitary personal God who was present and active and who intervened in human affairs. Consequently, they believed that prayers were heard and effectual. They believed the main factor in serving God was living a good and moral life, that promotion of morality was central to the value of religion, and that the morality engendered by religion was indispensable to society. Because virtually all religions promoted morality, they believed that many--perhaps all--religious traditions or systems were valid and led to the same God.... Though [they] did not believe that jesus was God, they considered Him a great moral teacher and held a higher view of Him than did most deists. They believed in a personal afterlife in which the wicked would be temporarily punished and the good would experience happiness forever.... Reason was the ultimate standard for learning and evaluating truth and for determining legitimate revelation from God" (19-20).
As Frazer rightly notes, the beliefs described above do not square with Christianity or with deism.
November 30, 2025
"The study of the religious convictions of self-taught Americans in the early years of the republic reveals how much weight was placed on private judgement and how little on the roles of history, theology, and the collective will of the church."
--Nathan Hatch, The Democratization of American Christianity
Frazer's The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders starts with a memory - the author recalling his attendance at a lecture given by the authors of the now infamous The Light and the Glory. He quotes former Secretary of State John Ashcroft's now memorable speech, "No King but King Jesus," delivered at Bob Jones University. With this introduction, Frazer establishes himself as intimately familiar with the "Christian America" position, lending credibility to his subsequent historically-based critique.
But Frazer's critique is more than just (another) polemic again right and left-wing views of the founding. Rather Frazer sets forth a unique thesis, arguing that both both secular and sacred treatment of the founding father's religiosity has done historicity a disservice--placing ideology above proper use of source material. In place of these two ideological camps, Frazer offers an interpretive paradigm he terms theistic rationalism, wherein the founders' possessed a unique amalgamation of 18th century natural religion, Christianity, and rationalism. Theistic rationalism, Frazer argues emphatically, was not "a religion or a denomination per se, but rather a religious belief system and an approach to religious belief." Quoting Sydney Ahlstrom, Frazer highlights a "recognizable type of enlightened Christianity," one which was optimistic, democratic, anti-Calvin, and most importantly--completely unhinged from historical theology. He labels this theistic rationalism--a belief neither Christian nor Deistic--and proceeds adeptly from there.
While Frazer's thorough advocacy for his self-proclaimed "media res" of theistic rationalism is certainly intriguing, I would cautiously argue that what can really be gleaned from this fine work are two separate, but related points:
1. Frazer provides ample primary source evidence that Hatch (see above quote) is absolutely correct--the Founding Fathers were an "a-historically motivated," thoroughly eclectic bunch when it came to the subject of traditional theology. Their private and public writings on theology reveal a muddled mass of eccentricities, inconsistencies, and stubbornly-held preferences (mostly in the direction of rationalism). Frazer gamely demonstrates this, even where it directly contradicts his overarching premises. It's all very courageous on his part--and very historical too.
2. Frazer's thesis may be a little too simplistic, but he really succeeds in setting a good "historical tonality" throughout the course of his work. Religious Beliefs is a primer on the nuance good historical writing can (and should) bring to any polemical issue. We may never thoroughly agree on whether or not the founder's were all deists or Christians in their theological beliefs--or even come to terms on set definitions of those words--but we can certainly treat their beliefs with the delicate awareness that affords understanding and leaves room for complicated truths and paradoxical stances, all influenced by the sea of political and social changes continually surrounding their daily 18th century lives.
Frazer's gift is in treating 18th century historical figures like real people, with their deeply cherished, often incongruous, and seldom isolated paradigms and beliefs exposed on page after page of personal letters and private journal entries. In accomplishing this delicate treatment, Frazier allows the reader to see the consistently inconsistent patterns in human thought--those unsteady, quixotic, and unpredictable strands--that may not always fit tidily into a historical thesis, yet ultimately define us and bind us as a part of humanity and human history. The founding fathers forced their theological views to fit their pre-established political ideologies and personal biases, a not unfamiliar occurrence in American politics to this very day.
--Nathan Hatch, The Democratization of American Christianity
Frazer's The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders starts with a memory - the author recalling his attendance at a lecture given by the authors of the now infamous The Light and the Glory. He quotes former Secretary of State John Ashcroft's now memorable speech, "No King but King Jesus," delivered at Bob Jones University. With this introduction, Frazer establishes himself as intimately familiar with the "Christian America" position, lending credibility to his subsequent historically-based critique.
But Frazer's critique is more than just (another) polemic again right and left-wing views of the founding. Rather Frazer sets forth a unique thesis, arguing that both both secular and sacred treatment of the founding father's religiosity has done historicity a disservice--placing ideology above proper use of source material. In place of these two ideological camps, Frazer offers an interpretive paradigm he terms theistic rationalism, wherein the founders' possessed a unique amalgamation of 18th century natural religion, Christianity, and rationalism. Theistic rationalism, Frazer argues emphatically, was not "a religion or a denomination per se, but rather a religious belief system and an approach to religious belief." Quoting Sydney Ahlstrom, Frazer highlights a "recognizable type of enlightened Christianity," one which was optimistic, democratic, anti-Calvin, and most importantly--completely unhinged from historical theology. He labels this theistic rationalism--a belief neither Christian nor Deistic--and proceeds adeptly from there.
While Frazer's thorough advocacy for his self-proclaimed "media res" of theistic rationalism is certainly intriguing, I would cautiously argue that what can really be gleaned from this fine work are two separate, but related points:
1. Frazer provides ample primary source evidence that Hatch (see above quote) is absolutely correct--the Founding Fathers were an "a-historically motivated," thoroughly eclectic bunch when it came to the subject of traditional theology. Their private and public writings on theology reveal a muddled mass of eccentricities, inconsistencies, and stubbornly-held preferences (mostly in the direction of rationalism). Frazer gamely demonstrates this, even where it directly contradicts his overarching premises. It's all very courageous on his part--and very historical too.
2. Frazer's thesis may be a little too simplistic, but he really succeeds in setting a good "historical tonality" throughout the course of his work. Religious Beliefs is a primer on the nuance good historical writing can (and should) bring to any polemical issue. We may never thoroughly agree on whether or not the founder's were all deists or Christians in their theological beliefs--or even come to terms on set definitions of those words--but we can certainly treat their beliefs with the delicate awareness that affords understanding and leaves room for complicated truths and paradoxical stances, all influenced by the sea of political and social changes continually surrounding their daily 18th century lives.
Frazer's gift is in treating 18th century historical figures like real people, with their deeply cherished, often incongruous, and seldom isolated paradigms and beliefs exposed on page after page of personal letters and private journal entries. In accomplishing this delicate treatment, Frazier allows the reader to see the consistently inconsistent patterns in human thought--those unsteady, quixotic, and unpredictable strands--that may not always fit tidily into a historical thesis, yet ultimately define us and bind us as a part of humanity and human history. The founding fathers forced their theological views to fit their pre-established political ideologies and personal biases, a not unfamiliar occurrence in American politics to this very day.
June 27, 2018
When I was teaching my children history we went beyond history textbooks to read some original writings of America’s founders. One observation that took me by surprise was the vagueness of their references to Jesus, God, and Christian faith. I had always thought these men were Christians, but from what I read they didn’t sound like Christians, not even like the Christians of their own day. More recently, I was glad to discover a book that deals with those inconsistencies.
How is it that many claim that Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were deists and yet both men encouraged prayer and wrote of a God personally involved in current events? How is that some people claim that George Washington was a Christian and yet he refused to profess faith in Christ, crossed Jesus’ name out of speeches written for him, would not kneel for prayer with his congregation and pointedly refused to ever take communion? How is it that many founders can be called both deists and Christians and yet not exactly fit either category?
Gregg Frazer tackles these questions in his book The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders: Reason, Revelation, and Revolution. Mr. Frazer is professor of history and political studies at The Master’s University. He suggests a third option–theistic rationalism. Frazer arrived at his third option by searching for the founders’ real beliefs in their private writings more than in what they wrote for public consumption. In his book, he focuses on the eight most influential founders. He says they weren’t deists because they believed that God was involved in present events. Neither were they Christians because they rejected the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and other doctrines central to Christianity. Instead, they were rationalists; they believed that reason was the highest arbiter of what is true.
“Your reason is the only oracle given you by heaven” – Thomas Jefferson (125)
“The Scriptures...do not supersede the operations of reason” – James Wilson, one of four key framers of the Constitution (164)
What is theistic rationalism?
Theistic rationalism is a “hybrid belief system mixing elements of natural religion, Christianity, and rationalism, with rationalism as the predominant element” (14). For the founders, while believing in God (theistic), any Christian ideas that did not seem reasonable could be rejected and God could be defined as seemed reasonable to the individual (rationalism).
Key clergymen were on board with the primacy of rationalism. Chapter 2 reviews the religious beliefs of those clergymen who most strongly influenced the founders and promoted the Revolution. For example, one of the divines who most influenced Thomas Jefferson was Joseph Priestley. Priestley was unitarian and rejected the deity of Christ and the Trinity.
Didn’t the founders promote Christianity?
The founders promoted religion. Why? They knew that for their system of government to work it needed a moral people. “Morality was needed to get men to live in civil fashion without coercion in a free society; and religion was the best source of morality” (179). Any religion that promoted good morals would do.
The founders could sound like Christians while rejecting Christ. How? They consistently referred to God in generic terms–Creator, Divinity, Providence, Author–not Christian terms–Christ, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. Why be vague? Why did they not speak like the committed Christians we’ve been told they were? Generic God-words are interpretable, maleable. Enlightenment ideas sandwiched between God-words could be fed to the church-going masses without offense to most denominations and religions.
How did they get past Romans 13?
Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17 stood as sentinels against the rebellion of the American colonials. Romans 13:1-2 says,
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
The revolutionary clergy shot the sentinels. Turning that passage on its head, they preached that Paul advocated a duty to resist tyrants. How did they arrive at the opposite of what the passage clearly says? Pages 66-67 in chapter 2 walk the reader through Boston pastor Jonathan Mayhew’s application of human reason to Romans 13.
Chapter 3 explains how it came about that, in the mid-1700s, pastors of the era shifted away from use of the Bible as their primary source and instead incorporated Lockean Enlightenment political philosophy into their sermons. Turning from Calvinism, they taught enlightenment ideas as though they were Bible-based principles, ideas like natural law, natural rights, government by consent of the governed, and accountability of rulers to the people. They persuaded their congregations that rebellion to tyranny was a Christian duty. Frazer quotes Michael Zuckert on the political function of using Scripture to undergird the teachings of rationalism:
...the higher or more intense authority of religion now stands behind the cool rationalism of Locke. There can be little doubt that the enlistment of St. Paul in Locke’s army had much to do with the fervor Americans of the revolutionary era brought to the political conflicts of the day. (231)
What did the top eight key founders believe?
In chapters 4-7, Frazer analyzes eight of the most influential founders in depth. For example, he shows why he categorizes John Adams as a theistic rationalist rather than a Christian, and Benjamin Franklin as a theistic rationalist rather than a deist. A surprise to me is Alexander Hamilton. I had never heard that late in life Hamilton apparently repented to faith in Christ and one of the changes was that his terms for God and salvation shifted from vague and generic to specific and biblical.
So what?
In the final chapter, Frazer answers, so what? He explains the ramifications of theistic rationalism on our founding documents and American civil religion. Is patriotism part of Christian piety? (Implication: Should a U. S. flag stand in our church auditoriums?) Is the language of the Declaration of Independence Christian? Did the freedom of religion in the Constitution originate in Christianity?
You may believe that the founding fathers of the United States were mostly Christians and that this country was founded on Christian principles. You may believe they were mostly deists and that our founding was built on natural religion and Enlightenment rationalism. You may have been taught a Christian founding but felt confused by the founders own writings and inconsistencies between founding documents and the Bible. No matter what your persuasion, as a part of education on U.S. history, The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders ought to be required reading for all adults and high school students.
(See this review on seedsownpress.wordpress.com)
How is it that many claim that Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were deists and yet both men encouraged prayer and wrote of a God personally involved in current events? How is that some people claim that George Washington was a Christian and yet he refused to profess faith in Christ, crossed Jesus’ name out of speeches written for him, would not kneel for prayer with his congregation and pointedly refused to ever take communion? How is it that many founders can be called both deists and Christians and yet not exactly fit either category?
Gregg Frazer tackles these questions in his book The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders: Reason, Revelation, and Revolution. Mr. Frazer is professor of history and political studies at The Master’s University. He suggests a third option–theistic rationalism. Frazer arrived at his third option by searching for the founders’ real beliefs in their private writings more than in what they wrote for public consumption. In his book, he focuses on the eight most influential founders. He says they weren’t deists because they believed that God was involved in present events. Neither were they Christians because they rejected the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and other doctrines central to Christianity. Instead, they were rationalists; they believed that reason was the highest arbiter of what is true.
“Your reason is the only oracle given you by heaven” – Thomas Jefferson (125)
“The Scriptures...do not supersede the operations of reason” – James Wilson, one of four key framers of the Constitution (164)
What is theistic rationalism?
Theistic rationalism is a “hybrid belief system mixing elements of natural religion, Christianity, and rationalism, with rationalism as the predominant element” (14). For the founders, while believing in God (theistic), any Christian ideas that did not seem reasonable could be rejected and God could be defined as seemed reasonable to the individual (rationalism).
Key clergymen were on board with the primacy of rationalism. Chapter 2 reviews the religious beliefs of those clergymen who most strongly influenced the founders and promoted the Revolution. For example, one of the divines who most influenced Thomas Jefferson was Joseph Priestley. Priestley was unitarian and rejected the deity of Christ and the Trinity.
Didn’t the founders promote Christianity?
The founders promoted religion. Why? They knew that for their system of government to work it needed a moral people. “Morality was needed to get men to live in civil fashion without coercion in a free society; and religion was the best source of morality” (179). Any religion that promoted good morals would do.
The founders could sound like Christians while rejecting Christ. How? They consistently referred to God in generic terms–Creator, Divinity, Providence, Author–not Christian terms–Christ, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. Why be vague? Why did they not speak like the committed Christians we’ve been told they were? Generic God-words are interpretable, maleable. Enlightenment ideas sandwiched between God-words could be fed to the church-going masses without offense to most denominations and religions.
How did they get past Romans 13?
Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17 stood as sentinels against the rebellion of the American colonials. Romans 13:1-2 says,
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
The revolutionary clergy shot the sentinels. Turning that passage on its head, they preached that Paul advocated a duty to resist tyrants. How did they arrive at the opposite of what the passage clearly says? Pages 66-67 in chapter 2 walk the reader through Boston pastor Jonathan Mayhew’s application of human reason to Romans 13.
Chapter 3 explains how it came about that, in the mid-1700s, pastors of the era shifted away from use of the Bible as their primary source and instead incorporated Lockean Enlightenment political philosophy into their sermons. Turning from Calvinism, they taught enlightenment ideas as though they were Bible-based principles, ideas like natural law, natural rights, government by consent of the governed, and accountability of rulers to the people. They persuaded their congregations that rebellion to tyranny was a Christian duty. Frazer quotes Michael Zuckert on the political function of using Scripture to undergird the teachings of rationalism:
...the higher or more intense authority of religion now stands behind the cool rationalism of Locke. There can be little doubt that the enlistment of St. Paul in Locke’s army had much to do with the fervor Americans of the revolutionary era brought to the political conflicts of the day. (231)
What did the top eight key founders believe?
In chapters 4-7, Frazer analyzes eight of the most influential founders in depth. For example, he shows why he categorizes John Adams as a theistic rationalist rather than a Christian, and Benjamin Franklin as a theistic rationalist rather than a deist. A surprise to me is Alexander Hamilton. I had never heard that late in life Hamilton apparently repented to faith in Christ and one of the changes was that his terms for God and salvation shifted from vague and generic to specific and biblical.
So what?
In the final chapter, Frazer answers, so what? He explains the ramifications of theistic rationalism on our founding documents and American civil religion. Is patriotism part of Christian piety? (Implication: Should a U. S. flag stand in our church auditoriums?) Is the language of the Declaration of Independence Christian? Did the freedom of religion in the Constitution originate in Christianity?
You may believe that the founding fathers of the United States were mostly Christians and that this country was founded on Christian principles. You may believe they were mostly deists and that our founding was built on natural religion and Enlightenment rationalism. You may have been taught a Christian founding but felt confused by the founders own writings and inconsistencies between founding documents and the Bible. No matter what your persuasion, as a part of education on U.S. history, The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders ought to be required reading for all adults and high school students.
(See this review on seedsownpress.wordpress.com)
August 18, 2015
One hotly debated topic in America today is the place of religion in our political system. Inevitably, this discussion leads to the dispute concerning the founding fathers’ religious beleifs. Were they Christians who founded a nation based on Judeo-Christian values? Or were they deists who had secular goals in mind alone? Both sides are well armed with quotations from key founders supporting their respective positions. In this book, historian Gregg Frazer seeks to get at the heart of what these men truly believed and why. Focusing on the primary founders (major players in the fight for independence and the creation of the constitution), he argues that these men were neither secular deists or Christians but what he calls theistic rationalists. By this he means that they were men who did believe in an active, all-powerful Being concerned with the lives of men (contrary to deism), but final authority was given to reason (contrary to orthodox Christianity’s reliance on the Bible). Though his terminology is novel, he also shows that many respected and careful historians have reached similar conclusions about the founders’ beliefs as well.
Fraser begins with two important chapters examining ideas and people who had a great influence over the founding generation. These chapters give the reader a feel for what were trendy ideas to eighteenth century elites and set the stage for understanding what the founders wrote about faith. In chapters 4-7, Frazer explores the particulars of what the men believed, specifically Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Wilson, Morris, Washington, and Hamilton. The final chapter covers the influence of theistic rationalism on the founding documents. He also discusses several important points in the development of theology in America.
Even though the founding fathers differed somewhat in their personal ideas on religion, they all were steadfast in their confidence in reason. To them, reason was the authority. If a certain doctrine or Biblical story seemed highly irrational, it was discarded. However, the founders also firmly believed that morality was important for a republic to survive and that religion was the best means to encourage morality. Morality was important because it produced good citizens who in turn would support and obey lawful government. Religious belief was then encouraged, even in public life. However the substance of what the founders believed about God and Christianity would be considered heresy by orthodox Christians. For example, most denied the deity of Christ (though they thought he was a great teacher), the doctrine of the trinity was considered foolish, most thought miracles were impossible, and the total depravity of man was denied. Any form of dogma was considered antiquated and produced unnecessary strife. Above all they valued reason and considered reason instead of the Bible as the test of all truth. If a certain Biblical passage did not seem rational, it was forsaken.
To me this is one of the best books on the Founders' religious beliefs. Frazer does an excellent job of putting the reader into the intellectual world of the eighteenth century. Even though one may find his definition and explanation of theistic rationalism too neat, he present plenty of info on the founding fathers' beleifs. Most helpful and convincing is his coverage of what key founders thought about important Christian dogma. Theistic rationalism does seem to be a good description of what they believed.
Fraser begins with two important chapters examining ideas and people who had a great influence over the founding generation. These chapters give the reader a feel for what were trendy ideas to eighteenth century elites and set the stage for understanding what the founders wrote about faith. In chapters 4-7, Frazer explores the particulars of what the men believed, specifically Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Wilson, Morris, Washington, and Hamilton. The final chapter covers the influence of theistic rationalism on the founding documents. He also discusses several important points in the development of theology in America.
Even though the founding fathers differed somewhat in their personal ideas on religion, they all were steadfast in their confidence in reason. To them, reason was the authority. If a certain doctrine or Biblical story seemed highly irrational, it was discarded. However, the founders also firmly believed that morality was important for a republic to survive and that religion was the best means to encourage morality. Morality was important because it produced good citizens who in turn would support and obey lawful government. Religious belief was then encouraged, even in public life. However the substance of what the founders believed about God and Christianity would be considered heresy by orthodox Christians. For example, most denied the deity of Christ (though they thought he was a great teacher), the doctrine of the trinity was considered foolish, most thought miracles were impossible, and the total depravity of man was denied. Any form of dogma was considered antiquated and produced unnecessary strife. Above all they valued reason and considered reason instead of the Bible as the test of all truth. If a certain Biblical passage did not seem rational, it was forsaken.
To me this is one of the best books on the Founders' religious beliefs. Frazer does an excellent job of putting the reader into the intellectual world of the eighteenth century. Even though one may find his definition and explanation of theistic rationalism too neat, he present plenty of info on the founding fathers' beleifs. Most helpful and convincing is his coverage of what key founders thought about important Christian dogma. Theistic rationalism does seem to be a good description of what they believed.
September 23, 2019
An absolutely excellent, insightful read on the religious beliefs of our country's founding fathers. Many people have believed and have tried to make the argument that the founding fathers were Christians, thus when they put together the constitution, they were driven by their commitment to their Christian faith. Meanwhile, there are those who beat the drum of separation of church and state and try to make the case that the founding fathers were deists, and they too, try to build their case from taking select quotes from the fathers. Neither side is correct and Frazer details in specific ways, why it is not accurate to say that most of the founding fathers were believers/Christians, nor is it accurate to say that they were deists and as such, believed that God had no role in the foundation of our country.
Frazer details instead, that what drove many of the founding fathers, and most certainly the central characters in the founding of our country, was a religion known as Theistic Rationalism. The fathers saw religion as important because they believed it to be critical to the morality of a nation that can hold together. Religion brings morality, thus religion, regardless of what it is, can be helpful and critical to the fabric of our nation. Many preachers of the day who influenced the founding fathers, were not orthodox in their doctrinal beliefs but were influential in promoting a theistic rationalism and a corresponding patriotism which drove the mindset that led to the victory of the Revolutionary War. For men, such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, etc. they believed that there was some "God" who played a providential role in the founding of the country, but the absolutely necessary doctrines of the Christian faith were not embraced by them. Their ability to rationalize, to think, to have logic, drove their beliefs and thus, drove their view of revelation and ultimately their beliefs about the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The book doesn't go into details on every man who played a key role in the founding of the country, but the author looks at the ones who tend to be the most influential.
This book spells out the details of their beliefs and demonstrates that the majority of them were neither deists nor evanglical believers. I found this book to be incredibly insightful and very helpful to understand the religious persuasions of the founding fathers and the role their theistic rationalism played in the development of the country, the constitution, etc. I highly recommend this to anyone who may be interested in truly understanding the religious roots of our wonderful nation.
Frazer details instead, that what drove many of the founding fathers, and most certainly the central characters in the founding of our country, was a religion known as Theistic Rationalism. The fathers saw religion as important because they believed it to be critical to the morality of a nation that can hold together. Religion brings morality, thus religion, regardless of what it is, can be helpful and critical to the fabric of our nation. Many preachers of the day who influenced the founding fathers, were not orthodox in their doctrinal beliefs but were influential in promoting a theistic rationalism and a corresponding patriotism which drove the mindset that led to the victory of the Revolutionary War. For men, such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, etc. they believed that there was some "God" who played a providential role in the founding of the country, but the absolutely necessary doctrines of the Christian faith were not embraced by them. Their ability to rationalize, to think, to have logic, drove their beliefs and thus, drove their view of revelation and ultimately their beliefs about the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The book doesn't go into details on every man who played a key role in the founding of the country, but the author looks at the ones who tend to be the most influential.
This book spells out the details of their beliefs and demonstrates that the majority of them were neither deists nor evanglical believers. I found this book to be incredibly insightful and very helpful to understand the religious persuasions of the founding fathers and the role their theistic rationalism played in the development of the country, the constitution, etc. I highly recommend this to anyone who may be interested in truly understanding the religious roots of our wonderful nation.
April 1, 2019
This was an excellent read showcasing that the Founding Fathers, men like Jefferson, Washington, and Adams were NOT orthodox Christians, but neither were they deists. What were they? Theistic Rationalists. What in the world are they? Mr. Frazer lays it all out, and I must say, he did it very well. The evidence is all there and though Mr. Frazer is writing from an Orthodox Christian (and Calvinist flavor) background/bias he nonetheless does an excellent job from keeping the book from devolving into a Hellfire sermon against the Founders. The Founders were brilliant- a little too brilliant, and I don't believe this country would have ever survived if it wasn't for their intellect and insight... ironically that insight was not an orthodox Christian one, nor a secular one, but a theistic rationalist one. A compelling read and much needed in today's divisive war on this issue. Finally, we have a third alternative to the "America was founded as a Christian country!" and the other equally unsatisfying "America is purely a secularist nation! Separation of Church and State!". Now we have the evidence packed historically faithful view: America was founded and her key documents produced solely on the grounds of theistic rationalism. "The American Founders believed that religion, by promoting morality, was a vital and necessary support for a government and society of free people. Imposition of religious belief or practice was unacceptable, but active support for religious effort was not. Those religious efforts had beneficial societal effects." (226)
June 13, 2025
Supernatural rationalism. Theological rationalism. Christian rationalism. Rational Christianity. No title has successfully circumscribed the belief system of the American founders. In his work, The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders: Reason, Revelation, and Revolution, Gregg L. Frazer, the Dean of the School of Humanities at The Master’s University, explains that scholars have fallen short of a clear definition of the religious values of the founders, though many have identified the eighteenth century bridge into a new religious system. Frazar attempts to solve the age-old debate by defining the religious beliefs of some of America’s most influential leaders as theistic rationalism, indicating the clear separation of the eighteenth century heroes’ beliefs from a Christianity centered around Christ and expelling the common belief that America was built on a Christian foundation of Biblical principles.
July 30, 2020
This book was eye-opening in many ways. I thought the author does a good job at both making, defending and proving his thesis that the main founders of America were neither deists nor Christians, but instead theistic rationalists. This book had caused me to seriously evaluate the religious tone of America throughout the last two centuries as well as in our current day. I’m grateful for this work.
June 1, 2017
Great read! I didn't give 5 stars b/c I'm not an expert in the field. The book was convincing, but I don't know many of the alternate theories to challenge the view. Extremely interesting, nevertheless.
March 15, 2023
A revealing investigation of the true religion of our founding fathers. Well-presented and well-documented, but gets repetitive with research about the prevailing religious thought in the 18th century, especially in chapters 2 and 3.
November 9, 2024
Dnf. Gave it a 3 because I believe in what the book is trying to convey. I don't think the vocabulary and tone is accessible to most people and counterproductive to his goal of making this more centrist idea known. I found myself defining words in my head then losing the point of the sentence instead of breezing through more common quick to understand words. I was very disappointed that I couldn't enjoy and absorb the book. I do recommend The Bible Sojoirner podcast episode where he was a guest. That was how I discovered the book.
May 22, 2014
This easily ranks as one of the ten most fascinating books I've read to date. There is much controversy today over the place of religion in politics and what the Founder's actually believed. Opinions generally fall into two camps: the secularists who claim the founders were irreligious deists, and the "Christian America" advocates who claim the founders were Christian. The former argue that the founders sought to keep religion from having any influence in the nation's government; the latter argue that the founders sought to establish a Christian nation on biblical principles. In this book, however, Dr. Gregg Frazer does a remarkable job showing that, in reality, both groups are wrong. The founders were neither Christians nor deists but what Frazer terms "theistic rationalists" -- that is, they believed in God, but what exactly they believed about God was determined ultimately by the standard of human reason rather than Scripture. So on the one hand, they believed in a personal God who was actively engaged in the affairs of the world, thus separating them from deism; while on the other hand, their reason led them to reject the fundamental doctrines of Christianity such as the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the atoning sacrifice on the cross, salvation by grace through faith, the inerrancy of Scripture, and the exclusivity of Christ (i.e., that there is only one way to God).
Frazer carefully analyzes the beliefs of eight key founders -- Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Wilson, Morris, Madison, Hamilton, and Washington -- and demonstrates how each of them held to this system. He also analyzes the beliefs of key theologians and philosophers of that day whom the founders specifically identified as having an influence on their way of thinking, showing that even these men promoted the religious rationalism that dominated the founder's thoughts.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand the underlying worldview that promoted the American Revolution, the beliefs of the founders and how their beliefs shaped founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and how Christians should interpret these documents to understand the relationship between church and state in America today.
Frazer carefully analyzes the beliefs of eight key founders -- Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Wilson, Morris, Madison, Hamilton, and Washington -- and demonstrates how each of them held to this system. He also analyzes the beliefs of key theologians and philosophers of that day whom the founders specifically identified as having an influence on their way of thinking, showing that even these men promoted the religious rationalism that dominated the founder's thoughts.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand the underlying worldview that promoted the American Revolution, the beliefs of the founders and how their beliefs shaped founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and how Christians should interpret these documents to understand the relationship between church and state in America today.
March 20, 2016
This book is a great source of information on the religious beliefs (or non-beliefs) of not only the primary founders of American government, but also of the preachers and other figures who supported the Revolution. That's where it's greatest strengths lie-- in revealing that despite having a degree of religious sentiment, although non-specific and certainly not specifically Christian, the Founders placed the power of reason at the pinnacle of the question of how to live a decent life. This belief formed the bedrock of their viewpoint on all religions.
As a source of information to inform oneself on the counter-claims made between Dominionists and hard-core secularists, it is invaluable. Its weakest moments come near the end when the author seeks to force the convincing argument he has made into the narrower confines of his preference for a modern political approach to the question of religion. There his research comes screechingly to a halt, and a variety of controversial "commonly known facts" are simply assumed to be true-- a prime example would be the suggestion that the Founders did not erect nor intend to erect a wall of separation between church and state, resting partially on acts such as the Northwest Ordinance, which has long since been shown to be a spurious source of support for the notion of a religiously entangled Congress. Other oddities include his belief that the authors of the New Testament were contemporaneous with Jesus, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Yet even in the face of these weaknesses and curiosities, the value of the book still holds.
As a source of information to inform oneself on the counter-claims made between Dominionists and hard-core secularists, it is invaluable. Its weakest moments come near the end when the author seeks to force the convincing argument he has made into the narrower confines of his preference for a modern political approach to the question of religion. There his research comes screechingly to a halt, and a variety of controversial "commonly known facts" are simply assumed to be true-- a prime example would be the suggestion that the Founders did not erect nor intend to erect a wall of separation between church and state, resting partially on acts such as the Northwest Ordinance, which has long since been shown to be a spurious source of support for the notion of a religiously entangled Congress. Other oddities include his belief that the authors of the New Testament were contemporaneous with Jesus, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Yet even in the face of these weaknesses and curiosities, the value of the book still holds.
February 15, 2014
Fascinating book that illuminates a topic I've always wondered about. The fact that it is written by an Evangelical scholar makes its thesis hard for religious conservatives to dismiss. On the other hand, Frazer's assertion that the key framers were "theistic rationalists" also challenges secularists who mischaracterize these men as deists determined to remove religious influence from government altogether. As he puts it so well, "The truth lies, as so often is the case, in the middle." A refreshing and much-needed reexamination of the key Founders' religious principles.
August 5, 2015
Very well done! I am not a specialist in this area and it was very scholarly, but I could still follow it (it was a bit repetitive) and was continuously engaged with his argument. "Theistic Rationalism"--that's a new one to think about.
Want to read
August 9, 2016Justin Taylor's interview with the author, who says that America's founders were neither Christians nor deists.
May 19, 2015
It would be difficult to overpraise this book, which should arguably be required reading for all students of American politics.
March 19, 2013
Thorough and well researched work. Academic in scope but very readable for non-academics. The closing chapter is worth the price of the book with a good "so-what" analysis.
April 10, 2016
A bit dry but a interesting subject.
October 3, 2013
Provocative and well-argued. Excellent.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews