The Founding Fathers and the Debate over Religion in Revolutionary America: A History in Documents

by Matthew Harris (Editor), Thomas Kidd (Editor)

Whether America was founded as a Christian nation or as a secular republic is one of the most fiercely debated questions in American history. Historians Matthew Harris and Thomas Kidd offer an authoritative examination of the essential documents needed to understand this debate. The texts included in this volume - writings and speeches from both well-known and obscure early American thinkers - show that religion played a prominent yet fractious role in the era of the American Revolution.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, American, Ebooks, Politics

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2011

Reviews

[Aden Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primary source documents on the Founding Fathers and their religious views. Harris and Kidd have published a great resource I will return to throughout the years.

[Marc Minter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is short, only one hundred and eighty-five pages, but it provides incredible primary source documentation on matters of religion at the founding of the American nation. The debate rages on today regarding the appropriateness of referring to America as a “Christian nation,” but those who engage in this ongoing conversation would do very well to consult the contents of this book. It is both accessible and scholarly, and the contextual commentary provides helpful historical background that sets primary sources in an understandable format. Matthew Harris and Thomas Kidd have provided readers with a wonderfully curated and thoughtfully arranged set of primary sources so that readers may see for themselves what was the substance and development of religious establishment in America during a time when it was not at all clear which direction the new nation would go.

See my full review here: https://open.substack.com/pub/marcmin...

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic resource demonstrating the complexities of the church-state question. Brief historical introductions provide context for concise citations of founding documents and founders' correspondence.

[Brad Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Harris' book. I wouldn't say there is anything new in terms of its history (this is a topic that has been heavily researched and written about in countless books) but it was still enjoyable, informative and, from my perspective, true to the historical narrative.

[Nathan Hoyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been very interested in this topic for quite some time and when I saw that it was by Matthew Harris, I knew I needed to read it.

Of course it refuted some of the current White Christian Nationalist that are clamoring that the US was founded as a Christian nation, but it shows this isn't a binary and it was certainly a tension between various individuals. And it seems it still is today.

I would have actually like a bit more interpretation of the passages/quotes from others, but it was quite enlightening to understand some of the debates going on even early in the US.

[marlie]

i had to read this book for a history class and i really enjoyed learning the religious opinions of different founding fathers and i liked how the chapters were organized. the one thing holding me back from giving it 5 stars is i wish there was more historical context added in the paragraphs before the individual documents.

[Audrey Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing personal, I just don’t like history

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

The question of whether or not the United States is a Christian nation founded on Christian principles often comes up, especially on my Facebook feed where liberal clashes with conservative, and Christians post alongside Atheists. However, what I can ignore on social media, I cannot always avoid in real life. While I have my opinion on this matter, I know the historical context is often key in this argument. Therefore, I set out to read some source materials pertaining to our nation's Founding Fathers, materials that pertained to this specific topic. This collection of excerpted documents and the brief introductions and summaries provided by the scholars who put it together was a great start.

As I read, I highlighted. As I moved through the text, I tried to give fair attention to both sides of the argument. Even so, my opinion on this matter did not change. If anything, it was only further reinforced. Now, though, I have even more knowledge to help me support what I already suspected.

Strangely, I have a feeling someone on the other side of this argument would be able to say the same. This is not an all-or-nothing kind of debate. It's nuanced and complicated, which is why so many different voices are given attention in the collection.