The Faiths of the Founding Fathers

by David L. Holmes

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.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, Politics, American History, American Revolution, Christianity

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

David L. Holmes was an American church historian. He was Walter G. Mason Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. He was married to Carolyn Coggin Holmes, executive director of James Monroe's Highland from 1975 to 2012. They had two daughters.

Reviews

[Breck Baumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those rare histories that strays from the title in a proper way, covering just enough of various American Founders religious beliefs, and yet also broadly focusing on the sects and creeds of the Revolutionary era and Thirteen Colonies as a whole. While Huguenots settled in South Carolina, Quakers were highly influential in Pennsylvania, and Holmes covers these and other vast differences in faith across the country from early movements to those most prominent members—such as Charles Carroll of Maryland, the Catholic Declaration signer from a colony known for its predominantly Roman-Catholic leanings. Deism is given thorough attention, as well as Unitarianism, giving the how and why John Adams among others followed these movements and beliefs throughout their lives. Holmes even adds the leanings and religious followings of well-known "Founding Mothers,” with Dolley Madison, Jefferson's wife and daughters, and Martha Washington all featured and given their spotlight:

In a Deistic period, the clergy of Philadelphia plainly considered her the kind of devout parishioner they were grateful to have in their parishes. Mrs. Washington "habitually occu-
pied" the presidential pew at Christ Church, the first Episcopal bishop of Pennsylvania declared, and "was regularly a communicant"—that is, someone who received Holy Communion. "On communion Sundays, he left the church after the blessing, and returned home," Nelly Custis Lewis wrote about attending Christ Church in Alexandria with General Washington, "and we sent the carriage back for my grandmother."

With fascinating insight into John Jay, Thomas Paine, James Monroe and countless others' creeds and beliefs, Holmes oddly ends the book with a lengthy 'Epilogue' that follows modern presidencies and their politics, specifically Ford, Carter, Reagan, the Bush family, and Clinton. This could have served as part of an Appendix, or the focus would have been more suitable looking at earlier figures in North America such as Cotton Mather, Roger Williams, and Anne Hutchinson. Despite that, The Faiths of the Founding Fathers is a brief yet generous history that offers a wealth of information for someone interested in the religion of the U.S. Founders and that of their respective Colonies in the late-eighteenth century.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because I'm interested in both religion and history, I'm always struck by comments in contemporary America about the religious views and values of the Founding Fathers. The conversation often indicates that many Americans today believe that the Founding Fathers share their views of Jesus, the Bible, and religious doctrines and that after a change of clothes, any of the Founding Fathers would be comfortable sliding into a pew beside them, sharing a hymn book, and discussing the morning's message. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this gem of a book, David L. Holmes, the Walter G. Mason Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary, examines the religious views and beliefs of the some of the leading Americans during and after the Revolutionary War, the writing of the Constitution, and the early National Period of our history and places their religious beliefs into the religious environment of their era.
In order to understand the religious traditions of individuals like Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe, Holmes investigates the religious culture of the late colonial period and details the most influential religious groups in each colony. He also discusses the forms of Deism that existed in the American colonies and early American Republic and highlights the impact that Deism had on the educated men and women of the Revolutionary Period.
Using both their words and drawing conclusions from their actions, Holmes concludes that Martha Washington, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and the daughters of Thomas Jefferson believed in the orthodox Christian views of the period. But not so for George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John and Abigail Adams, James and Dolley Madison, and James Monroe. As a group, these latter individuals were respectful of Christianity and believed that religion played a beneficial role in society. However, also as a group, they admired the teachings of Jesus as an ethical code, but downplayed or denied his divinity. Several, especially John and Abigail Adams held Unitarian beliefs, and a few were agnostic. While each of the individuals in this latter group attended mainstream Christian churches, their beliefs, obviously, were radically different from the beliefs of contemporary evangelicals.
In summing up his conclusions, David Holmes noted that "whatever their private beliefs, most maintained formal affiliations with Christian denominations. In the spirit of the times, some questioned doctrines that they believed could not be reconciled with human reason. As a result, they rejected such Christian teachings as the Trinity, the virgin birth, the resurrection, and the divinity of Jesus. Yet orthodox Christians participated at every stage of building the nation and many of their founders' wives and daughters displayed an orthodox Christian commitment. Despite this diversity of belief, the founding generation held certain convictions in common. Most believed in a guiding Providence and in a life after death....They respected the ethical teachings of Jesus. Many believed that simple virtue and morality were of greater importance than adherence to a particular set of religious doctrines. Above all, they valued freedom of conscience and despised religious tyranny. ...In the circle of the founding fathers, both men and women embraced these religious ideals." Definitely a thought provoking book about a controversial dialogue in American society.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reasonablly accurate history of religion in American politics. Sorely needed in this age of David Barton's insanity and revisionist history.

[Jenny.p · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very tight, readable overview of the dramatically varied religious landscape of colonial America and the diversity of religious views of (some) of the founding fathers. With all of the tomes devoted to similar themes, I was grateful for a simple breakdown. Holmes definitely writes with an agenda: to discredit theories held by the Christian right that the founders intended the nation to be anchored in Christianity. He is very eager - almost desperate - to prove that many of the founders were actually Deists and thought a lot of the Bible is malarkey, and he somewhat oversimplifies what is actually a more complicated subject.

[Jason Bollinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book when it was referenced in another book. It was good. It seems to be written very matter of factly. It doesn’t draw big conclusions or point to an agenda. It just gives stories and facts. This work is profoundly helpful and I have used content here in dozens of conversations already. It’s worth the read. I wish there was an update as the epilogue walks through the faiths of modern presidents but ends with W.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN EXCELLENT HISTORICAL WORK ON SIX OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS’ RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

Author David L. Holmes wrote the first chapter of this 2006 book, “none of the founding fathers knew anything of the churches that became so large in the United States in the twentieth century---the Pentecostals (or charismatics) and the nondenominational evangelicals. What the six founding fathers did know were the churches in which they had been raised---and in all cases those churches were the established churches of their colonies. But the founders were also very familiar with a radical religious outlook called Deism…” (Pg. 31)

He explains, “[The Anglican] church provided the religious background out of which Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe---as well as founding fathers as Patrick Henry, George Mason, and George Wythe---emerged… The Anglican faith of Virginia differed from the New England Puritanism out of which Adams and Franklin emerged. Both Adams and Franklin changed their religious views and embraced a form of Deism. So, too, did Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. But all of these men, except Franklin, continued to worship at least occasionally in the church of their ancestors---and their wives and daughters were usually devout supporters of it. The Virginia founding fathers married under their church’s auspices, consigned their children to its care, and were buried by its clergy. The impress of their religious background remained strong, even though their questioning of certain of their church’s fundamental doctrines led them to Deism.” (Pg. 36-37)

He points out, “if a reader cannot call Deism ‘atheistic,’ it is equally impossible to call the movement ‘Christian.’ Deists repeatedly called into question any teaching or belief of Christianity that they could not reconcile with human reason. For them reason was paramount in determining religious truth… On this basis many Deists dismissed the doctrines of the Trinity… the incarnation… the virgin birth… and the resurrection… Additionally, they found belief in biblical revelation---the concept that the Bible revealed God and God’s will---faulty when subjected to rational analysis.” (Pg. 46-47)

He summarizes, “after Madison returned to Virginia, his religious beliefs clearly moved in a Deistic direction… Deism influenced, in one way or another, most of the political leaders who designed the new American government… if census takers trained in Christian theology had set up broad categories in 1790 labeled ‘Atheism,’ ‘Deism and Unitarianism,’ ‘Orthodox Presbyterianism,’ ‘Orthodox Roman Catholicism,’ and ‘Other,’ and if they had interviewed Franklin, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, they would undoubtedly have placed every one of these six founding fathers under the category of ‘Deism and Unitarianism.’” (Pg. 50-51)

He notes, “Franklin remained skeptical about the claims advanced by Enlightenment writers about the innate goodness and ultimate perfectibility of humanity… Franklin was among these Deists who remained open to the possibility of divine intervention or special providence in human affairs… [Franklin would] seldom directly criticize, other religious faiths. Although Franklin privately questioned such Christian doctrinal teachings as the incarnation, the Trinity, and the resurrection, he remained cautious when discussing them publicly. Thus his religious views display not dogmatism but rather tentativeness and ambivalence.” (Pg. 54-56)

He says of George Washington, “In the fashion of the Deists… Washington seems to have remained indifferent to two significant rites of his church. Like many of the founding fathers who were raised Anglican, he was never confirmed… Even more significantly, Washington apparently avoided the sacrament of Holy Communion… Writers continue to debate whether Washington received Holy Communion before or during the Revolutionary War, but the convergence of evidence seems to indicate that he did not receive it after the war.” (Pg. 62)

Of John Adams, he comments, “Like other Deists… Adams substituted a simpler, less mysterious form of Christianity for the Christianity he had inherited. Reading and reflection caused him to discard such beliefs as the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, total depravity, and predestination… he asserted that humans should study nature and use reason to learn about God and his creation. Above all, Adams opposed religious oppression and narrow-mindedness…. All of this displays the blend of Unitarian Christianity and rational thought that was the religion of John Adams.” (Pg. 78)

He observes, “Since he could read French, Jefferson became one of the minority of American Deists who was strongly influenced not only by the Scots and English Enlightenment but also by its more radical French counterpart. Among America’s founding fathers, he became the principle ‘philosophe.’” (Pg. 80) He continues, “He regularly read the Bible. He revered Jesus as a reformer and moral exemplar. But he did not see Jesus… as a savoir. Nor did he believe that the miracles attributed to Jesus were more than pious exaggerations. As a result, Jefferson used scissors and razor to excise from his New Testament the corruptions that he believed its writers had placed upon the original teachings of Jesus. Because Jefferson’s God was a God of reason, not of irrationality, Jefferson removed from the gospels anything that appeared unreasonable.” (Pg. 83)

After recounting that Jefferson sometimes attended traditional churches, he notes, “That Jefferson attended and supported other churches does not make him a Baptist, Presbyterian, or evangelical Episcopalian, any more than his regular reading of the Bible makes him an orthodox Christian. Like many churchgoers, he was always able to tune out points of doctrine with which he disagreed. He remained a Deist in rejecting the rituals and sacraments of institutional religion as the proper form of worship. For Jefferson, true worship consisted of love and tolerance for human beings according to the ethical teachings of Jesus.” (Pg. 85) He concludes, “identification of Unitarianism with Jefferson seems accurate.” (Pg. 87)

Of James Madison, he says, “only snippets of Madison’s private religious views remain. In 1825, for example, he exchanged letters with the Reverend Frederick Bailey… He omits any references… to Jesus, to the Bible, to the Judeo-Christian tradition, or to the church. Thus Madison’s letter seems more the response of a Deist than that of an orthodox Christian.” (Pg. 96)

Of James Monroe, he comments, “When his speeches referred to the Deity, he used only the stock Deistic phrases… Monroe’s published letters… make passing references to personal matters. All discussion of religion, however, was absent.” (Pg. 103) He continues, “Religion was not a primary concern of Monroe. When he died, he left no deathbed statement… ‘When it comes to Monroe’s … thoughts on religion,’ one such writer declares, ‘less is known than that of any other President.’” (Pg. 105)

He also notes that Abigail Adams [famous for penning the words, ‘Remember the ladies’ to her husband] “occupies a special place in American history… Influenced by Deism, she left orthodox Christianity and became a Unitarian.” (Pg. 117)

He concludes in the Epilogue, “Only a few of the founding fathers who lived into the early decades of the nineteenth century would have known of the evangelical interpretation of Christianity that has nurtured the recent presidents of the United States… the brief presidency of Gerald Rudolph Ford seems to introduce the first glimmers of the partisan evangelical influence in the White House to which Americans have become accustomed.” (Pg. 165)

This is an excellent, engagingly-written, and very informative book, that will be “must reading” for anyone seriously studying the religious views of the founding fathers.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

An overview of the religious environment in Colonial America, and the views of many of the key figures. Shatters many of the myths we've been taught: while Christianity (in its various forms) was the predominate religion, many of the Founding Fathers were Deist, and were adamant about separation of Church and State.

Fairly academic is in approach, it's pretty readable and makes a very strong case for the author's views. Some excellent ideas on why men of the era were Deist while their wives were generally orthodox Christians, though that subject is only touched on lightly (the author states it was beyond the scope of that book). Essentially, the Deist views were taught in college, where women were not allowed. Also, the church was a social opportunity for the women who had to stay at home (unlike the working men), and provided a greater comfort for suffering (very high infant mortality rate; while the men grieved, they could go back to work and socializing; women stayed at home and continued grieving).

An excellent conclusion is while a few of the Founding Fathers were what today would be called Christian, most (such as Jefferson, Adams, Monroe -- and even Washington!) would most likely be shunned by the religious right today.

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book confirmed what I suspected; except for a few, the Founding Fathers were not what current society would define as Christian. Most subscribed to some form of Deism. They were profoundly influenced by The Age of Enlightenment and were skeptical of the mysteries of Christianity. Not so the Founding Mothers. Except for Abigail Adams (who like her husband was Unitarian), most wives were orthodox believers. The author, a professor of religious studies at William & Mary, wrote, "...the founding generation held certain convictions in common. Most believed in a guiding Providence and in a life after death. These affirmations separated them from the radical Deists of their time. They respected the ethical teachings of Jesus. Many believed that simple virtue and morality were of greater importance than adherence to a particular set of religious doctrines. Above all, they valued freedom of conscience and despised religious tyranny."

[Bill Main · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have set out to study the Constitution and its period especially in mind of currently and past amendment discussions. Upon doing so, I found that this particular topic needed clarification. I read this book at the same time as "Was America Founded as a Christian Nation" by John Fea. By reading them both I hoped to get an idea of both sides of the topic. I got so much more. I had to put that particular study aside and read again "Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity" by Paul Barnett. This along with the history sections in my study Bible refreshed in my mind the age and depths of Christian sects and human abuses in each. Back to finishing the founder study, found so much more than just beliefs, but their lifestyles and influences. It all matters when one comes to a view on the matter. I enjoyed the experience

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fine book shows the religious landscape in the colonies in the late 18th century, demonstrates where the Founding Fathers' beliefs fit into that landscape, and counters claims that the Founders created a "Christian nation." Holmes arguments about Founders' beliefs rest both on what they wrote and on their behavior - when they went to church, what churches they attended, their recorded habits of prayer and sacraments - thus avoiding relying on later authors' assessments of Founding Fathers' theological positions. Holmes shows that these men were mostly deistic, though their wives were sometimes more conventionally Christian in their behavior. One can infer from Holmes's book that if early presidents had been chosen today, with all voting - not just property-holding white men - the nation would have taken a different path.

[Drkshadow03 · Rating 3 out of 5]

David L. Holmes argues many of the major Founding Fathers were neither “pure” deists nor pious Orthodox Christians, but rather Christian Deists. He identifies three broad groups that the Founding Fathers fell under, while recognizing diversity in each category: Non-Christian Deists such as Thomas Paine, Christian Deists such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and John Adams, and Orthodox Christians such as Samuel Adams, John Jay, and Elias Boudinot.


The books begins by outlining the broader religious context of different colonies in early colonial America. New England was dominated by Congregationalism, which was an offspring of the Calvinistic Puritanism. Maryland began as a haven for English Roman Catholics under the proprietorship of the Calverts but soon became majority Protestant. Virginia and the many founding fathers from the colony such as Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe were part of the Anglican tradition, which morphed into the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America after the Revolution. Pennsylvania was the most diverse and tolerant of the colonies given it was founded as an experiment in religious toleration. Nevertheless most colonies had some religious diversity with a smattering of various religious minorities that included Quakers, Baptists, Jews and other fringe forms of Christianity such as Shakers, Universalists, Moravians (descended from Czech reformer Jan Huss), and Mennonites. The 1730s - 1740s witnessed the appearance of evangelicalism under the charismatic George Whitefield who used his eloquent preaching to add a strong personal emotional component that emphasized that every person was capable of being reborn and a person could only achieve salvation once they recognized that they deserved damnation and asked god for Forgiveness. It was the Great Awakening that “left the legacy of evangelic “born-again” Christianity (28).” This was a time where 9 of the 13 colonies had state-sponsored official religions. Although some states did allow some toleration, which was different from separation of church and state or religious freedom. For example, the colony of Maryland in 1649 passed an act that allowed for a high level of religious toleration (not to be confused with the more radical religious freedom adopted by the founding fathers) before the arrival of the Enlightenment proper.

A deist is someone who believes in God and accepts that reason is the greatest gift from God, but rejects superstition, miracles, priestcraft, religious mysteries, Jesus as savior, the Bible as revelation, and irrational elements of religion. Deists also tended to emphasize ethics over doctrine and ritual. To quote one American clergy (as quoted in Holmes):

“Deism is what is left of Christianity after casting off everything that is peculiar to it. The Deist is one who denies the Divinity, the Incarnation, and the Atonement of Christ, and the work of the Holy Ghost; who denies the God of Israel, and believes in the God of nature (39-40).

Holmes offers four criteria for distinguishing a Deist from a Christian among the Founding Fathers: frequency of church attendance, participation in sacraments/ordinances such as baptism for their children, how active they were in participating in rituals, and choice of religious language usually to describe God. All of these criteria offered by Holmes has limitations. If someone were to argue the baptism of the founding father’s children demonstrates their religious commitment, Holmes also points out that this can be dismissed as the Founding Mothers being far more traditionally religious. If someone wanting to demonstrate a Founding Father was a deist using evidence of the terms they use for God, this too has problems because of the overlap of terminology. Although Holmes acknowledges sometimes they use the same terms, there are points in the book where he identifies a phrase as being deist as opposed to Christian, yet in almost all these cases you can find Orthodox Christians who used these terms. For example, John Calvin refers to God as an architect, which was supposedly indicative of Deism and its associated with free mason lodges, and it doesn’t get more Orthodox than Calvin himself.


Holmes does a good job at keeping a relatively neutral scholarly tone and approaching the topic with nuance. This is a much fairer treatment and far less ponderous than Matthew Stewart’s more polemical and biased book on a similar topic. It also has the merit of being short and readable. There are some weaknesses. For example, sometimes he refers to John Adams as a Deist, sometimes as a Christian Deist, and sometimes as a Unitarian, while also acknowledging that Unitarianism at this time was technically still a form of Christianity. My takeaway is that the book leaves open the question whether the Founding Fathers were deists who continued to embrace and refused to abandon some aspects of Christianity or if they were unorthodox Christians with who were influence by Deists and Enlightenment ideas. I suspect Holmes thinks the former in most cases rather than the latter. Maybe it’s both, depending of the Founding Father. Someone like John Adams still “believed in a personal God, in a guiding Providence, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in life after death (77).” He also used phraseology that was more specific to Christianity rather than Deism.

[Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Faiths of the Founding Fathers is a concise book that covers the role of religion in the American colonies at the time of independence and the personal beliefs of founding fathers such as Washington, Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson.

----------

It may be surprising to hear that church and the state were closely intertwined in the American colonies. In 1770, nine of the thirteen colonies had official state churches that were supported with tax revenue [10]. In New England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire were officially Congregationalist; across southern New York, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, the Episcopalian (Anglican) church was implemented much as it was back in England. [34]

If Episcopalianism can be understood as a familiar form of Anglicanism, Congregationalism is a bit more obscure. Born from a Calvinist sect within the Anglican church (the Puritans), Congregationalism emphasized:
- Personal responsibility
- Education (Harvard and Yale were Congregationalist institutions)
- Acts of service
- Democracy and equality versus hierarchy (each church was self-governing, with self-elected leadership)
- Sober discussion of morality versus ritual in services [10-15]

New England has always had a unique culture within the United States: a strong emphasis on education, a sober elevation of results and substance over form, and participation rather than hierarchy and deference as a norm in organizations. To what extent the legacy of Puritanism still holds would be an interesting thread to pull.

But I digress. After sketching the lay of land -- the Puritan north and Episcopalian south -- Holmes reviews a set of our Founding Fathers (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Franklin) and their religious beliefs against this backdrop.

There are certainly differences between them, but if I had to summarize the broad commonalities:
- The founding fathers believed in a God;
- They believed that this God created the world but did not interfere in worldly affairs;
- They believed primarily in the power of human reason to guide behavior;
- They believed that many of the lessons in the Bible and taught in sermons were good ones that aligned with reason, but not all did;
- In line with the above, they generally didn't attend regular services but thought it was net good for the population to do so.*

*E.g. Jefferson saw all churches as a way of guiding people to good morality even if imperfectly so. He donated personally to building funds for Episcopal, Baptist, and Presbyterian congregations [84]. In his head they were all flawed in their teachings in different ways, but also still on net a positive influence.

Most of the founding fathers were essentially Deists. Deists are monotheists that belief in a Supreme Being who set the universe in motion but who does not intervene in it. Deists "continued to respect the moral teachings of Jesus without believing in his divine status" [44] and that most rules for good behavior could be derived from reason [45-46; 126]. Holmes emphasizes at various points throughout that this Deist view of Christianity was common amongst the educated classes of Americans. And it makes intuitive sense as a way to think about Christianity for anyone steeped in Enlightenment thinking: discard the pomp and circumstance, discard the miracles and revelation and mystery, discard the hierarchy, but keep the melty chocolate center of neighborly love.

The book ends with a discussion of modern US presidents. It was written in 2006 during the Bush II administration, the last time we had any national conversation about religion. Holmes concludes correctly that the Founding Fathers had reverence for many Christian ideas, were moral men, but that we oughtn't for the most part consider them orthodox Christians in any sect. When we think about the Declaration of Independence and later the Constitution: the US was probably not meant to be an explicitly Christian nation, but it DEFINITELY was not meant to be a postmodern nation, devoid of any common sense of who we are and common understanding of right and wrong.

[Keegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

really important read. dispels the "Christian nation" myth. the founding fathers were renaissance men, not 20th century neocon WASPS. crucially, they were the dudes who had that new idea to kick the church out of the state, and were wholly capable of doing so while entertaining profound internal lives. I wonder where that ability has gone today? did we ever have it?

obviously this is one of the most nuanced of issues in the American founding myth but I found it incredibly refreshing to find an analysis of their spiritual lives which took into account the revolutionary mindset common to this cohort. it’s ridiculous to prescribe the bombed out carcass of mysticism that passes for contemporary American religion to a group like this, much as it is ridiculous to be anything but disappointed when analyzing the lofty (sometimes totally original) moral yardsticks these men held themselves and society to despite constantly (purposefully?) falling short of as a group and sometimes as individuals (im lookin at you TJ).

it’s always interesting to see someone build a new thing according to old guidelines. the founders welcomed the chance to use ancient ideas as a framework for a new type of governance, only to find they lacked the élan to discard the strictures of a sociopolitical system that had declared the lives of all but a select few forfeit 2000 years ago.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short book that throws cold water on the likes of David Barton and Eric Metaxas. The Founders were of three sorts: orthodox Christians (mostly Episcopalian or Congregationalists), Christian Deists, or non-Christian Deists. The author has gone through all of the primary sources of the Founders--their writings, their correspondences, and the works of those who knew them personally--and concluded that America's "Christian founding" is a myth. A better word for the beliefs of the Founders is providence, not Christianity.

The brilliance of our system is that men and women are free to choose their faith, to choose no faith at all, to pick and choose among faiths, or--ah, what the hell!--make up a faith all of their own. Religious freedom is one of the most defining features of our Republic. May it ever be so. I myself have made up two religions in my time here: Universal Romancatholtarianism, and Human Panzentheism. Our numbers are growing.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good and helpful book for those who want to understand the faith of those commonly called “The Founding Fathers”. It applies fair and impartial historical standards. It accurately represents both the non-Christian and orthodox figures, and accurately applies the term “orthodox” (the term was never applied to John Adams - a Unitarian - or Dolley Madison - a Quaker, while Samuel Adams - a Congregationalist Puritan - and John Jay - a Huegenot/French Calvinist - were considered orthodox).

My only complaint with the book is the figures that are left out. Leaving out Paine is understandable; very few are unaware of his religious views. However, it would’ve been interesting for him to include figures like Alexander Hamilton, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Aaron Burr, Marquis de Lafayette, etc.

I wish it had been more exhaustive. However, for what it does, it is a great book.

[Abdul Alhazred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faiths of some of the founders and their wives.
The case for most of them can be summed up as "it's complicated". Enlightenment values and deists ideas are common even among those who identify as Christians, even someone as outspoken against orthodox Christianity as Jefferson (enough to be called heretic and atheist by his contemporaries) has been painted as faithful because he still participated in church services.
This book dives deeper than most biographies manage to treat the subject, but it's still only an overview of the conflicting views on faith each named founder had. To understand deism or for that matter freemasonry which was also common, you'd need a more specific book than this.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this book after becoming familiar with Holmes's volume on the faiths of the postwar presidents. In this volume, Holmes discusses the religious beliefs of the first five presidents of the United States, as well as a set of others responsible for the foundation of our nation. He also gives background to the state of religion in the United States and the colonies during the Revolutionary period. In all, he aims to be debunk myths that have sprung up around the founding fathers with regard to their religious beliefs, enough to anger both evangelicals and some atheists. Proving exactly what the first five presidents believed, however, is perhaps more difficult than might be initially supposed. This is because we are limited by what these men left behind in their writings and by what others say about them, and these things do not necessarily speak to what went on in these men's minds.

Holmes makes the claim that the first five presidents of the United States were Deists. This claim is easily proven in the case of a man like Thomas Jefferson, whose views on religion and Christianity and fairly well known and represented in the writings that he left behind. Such a claim is a bit more difficult in the case of someone like George Washington, whose views and actions in some ways contradict such an interpretation, or someone like James Monroe, who was simply silent on religious matters.

Holmes begins by discussing the religious culture of the times. Most Americans were religious, and most were protestants of some sort. Anglicanism actually had a much larger hold on the country than I had realized, and Catholicism, which one tends to learn in school was well-founded in Maryland, actually had little hold (the leaders of Maryland were Catholic, but the people were Anglican). Unorthodox views were heavily present in Rhode Island and in Pennsylvania, where there tended to be greater freedom of religion. Deism was popular among the educated classes and supplanted the teachings of denominations at many of the denominationally sponsored universities during this time. Hence, the nation's leaders were often Deistic in their persuasion--or at least heavily influence by such ideas (the latter is much easier to prove than the former).

Next, Holmes moves on to the individual men. There seems little doubt that Franklin and Jefferson were Deists, though both men saw the Bible as a source of great wisdom and believe in a power that had forged the universe. Washington, however, was a churchgoer who encouraged others to go to church. Holmes sees Deistic tendencies in Washington because the man rarely talked of Jesus (he used, rather, terms Deists would more often use to talk of God, such as Grand Architect) or of personal salvation, and there is some evidence that he did not take communion. His attendance at church, furthermore, was sporadic (though his lack of attendance usually occurred when he was living in the country, far from available churches). I came away feeling like Washington could have as likely been a lukewarm Christian as a Deist. What is clear, though, is as Holmes points out, Washington's myth was rewritten by later generations to make him into a more religiously Orthodox man than he actually was.

John Adams and his wife were Unitarians. For Holmes, these seem more or less to equate with Deist. Holmes splits Deists into two camps: Christian Deists and non-Christian. As such, Adams falls into the former camp, save that Unitarians aren't technically Christians, if we are to follow the line of thinking that Christians must believe in the Trinity and other orthodox beliefs (Unitarians rejected the Trinity among other beliefs). As a Unitarian, Adams believed essentially in Arianism, the idea that Christ was a created being rather than coeternal with God from the beginning. However, unlike Jefferson, Adams believed in miracles and other various aspects of scripture. Still, Adams has as much trouble with the ideas of overly religious people as he did with overly Deistic people, such as Thomas Payne.

Madison's beliefs are a bit more difficult to fathom out, but his heavy association with Deists suggests that he leaned toward this set of beliefs, at least during the years in which he was on the political stage. Later in life, he apparently returned more toward orthodox Christianity. Monroe's silence, for Holmes, is an argument for Deistic beliefs, something I find a bit hard to buy as an argument (just because someone doesn't talk religion doesn't mean the person is fill-in-the-blank of what you want him to be). Also pointing to Monroe's possible Deist impulses was his membership in the Freemasons, an organization among with Deism was popular.

While the men may have been Deists, most of their wives, save for a few notables, fell more into the orthodox Christian camp. Holmes speculates on reasons that men made up most of the Deistic movement, while women stayed more closely aligned with churches. Holmes then turns to men who were very clearly Christian in outlook who helped forge the country: Samuel Adams and John Jay among them. He spells out how to "spot" a Deist versus a Christian. And then he closes with a chapter on our contemporary presidents. What is clear is that in the early Republic, while presidents tended to go to church (even if nonbelieving), they were not as outspoken about religion compared with the general population as our contemporary presidents are (who often espouse quite staunchly Christian beliefs in order to appeal to the electorate).

[Jeff Bracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, written in response to the argument by conservative Christians that the founding fathers intended to create a Christian nation, is a balanced analysis of the beliefs of Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Paine, Madison, Monroe and their wives. In so doing, Holmes analyzes the writen and written words, and practices, of the founding fathers. The results reveal a varied set of beliefs of the founding fathers which challenge the simplistic claims of those conservative Christians.

[Eric Buhrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It may take a while for me to finish this to qualify for a final review, due to my lazy diversion to works of casual fiction. Still, I find the topic fascinating, especially in light of current unenlightened views on the relationship between government and religion. When people treat government as religion has been historically treated, and have faith in it to solve the problems of their daily lives, then what?

[Mark Fromme · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good breakdown of the founding fathers and their beliefs. Many Christians today seem mixed up about how orthodox the founding father may have been. Holmes does a good job of examining the topic historically and objectively. For a 185 pages book he has 40 pages worth of sources, mostly primary, to back any assertions he makes.

[John Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book that helps us better understand the religious views of six of the most influential founders of our nation: Franklin, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe.

[Ron Bravenec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be required reading, especially by Christian nationalists. The epilogue, dealing with modern day presidents, is unnecessary in my view.

[Ian Janke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book proves wrong the flaws in arguments about the founding fathers posed by both the far left and Christian Right in 21st century American society. Highly recommend!

[Stevejs298 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting background on the founding fathers in particular and deism in general.

[Kyle Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Holmes' exploration of the religious backgrounds of the early presidents and American leaders. Enlightening.

[Asher Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not affect my rating, but the Epilogue felt very tacked-on and irrelevant.

[Christine Maynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting biography of the faiths of our founding fathers like the title says. Most of this I didn’t know.

[Georgia]

read for class

[Lisa Smiroldo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stara

[Paul Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professor David Holmes has given us a jewel in his book “The Faiths of the Founding Fathers”. Other reviewers have given very capable overviews so I won’t repeat what has already been written. But what surprised me, and pleasantly so, was the author’s exposition of how little Deism played in the overall life of the colonies. That is an idea which is refreshing because it flies in the face of the modernist humanist evaluations of the period which would like to see Deism as having been the dominant theology of the Founders.

As evidence, Dr. Holmes notes that Calvinism was far and away the dominant influence in that place and time: “As of 1770, two-thirds of the institutions of higher education in the American colonies were of Calvinist origin.” He then notes that that percentage actually continued to grow such that at the time of the Revolution that percentage was actually 70%! And the reason for that is that “80 percent of American Christians in the colonial period…were significantly influenced by John Calvin’s teachings.” When one adds in the Lutherans, Roman Catholics and various other sects not “significantly influenced” by Calvin it becomes quickly apparent that it was numerically impossible for Deism to be the dominant influence some have hoped it was.

But Deism was espoused by a few whose names have become synonymous with our founding – men such as Franklin, Washington and Jefferson. But Dr. Holmes shows how Franklin’s decision for Deism was made during his teen years (how many of us would like to be described by our teenage decisions!) and that he is famously remembered for stopping the Constitutional Convention by a call for a day of prayer – a practice that was superfluous to any self-respecting Deist. And to include Jefferson in the Deist’s camp is to ignore his claim that “I am a Christian…” which Dr. Holmes documents.

I hope not to spoil your adventure by telling you how Deism came to this country but suffice it to say that it was through “men only” institutions. All of which leads Dr. Holmes to discover that while Deism may have been on the lips and pens of some of our Founders, their wives and children maintained their orthodox traditions. And that explains why Deism was subsumed into Unitarianism or evaporated altogether very early in the 19th century. So it appears from the evidence that while Deism was a popular fad, it was short-lived and merely that – a fad.

This book should be commended to any student of American history. It is very accessible while providing significant intellectual heft.