Franklin on Faith

by Bill Fortenberry

Known to historians as "the First American," Benjamin Franklin is without a doubt the most accessible of America's founding fathers. His writings have inspired millions of Americans, and even now, more than 200 years after his death, his wit and humor still brighten lives all across the world. But what was this great man's view on faith? Was he really a Deist as so many historians have proposed? Was he a humanist like so many of his French friends? Is there any possibility that he could have been a Christian?

In this unique volume, Bill Fortenberry has collected everything that Franklin wrote about his faith. From Franklin's admission that he became a Deist at the age of fifteen, to his letter to Ezra Stiles 69 years later, Fortenberry catalogues exactly how Franklin's religious views progressed throughout his life and gives us a glimpse of a side of Franklin that few Americans have ever seen.

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Bill Fortenberry is a Christian philosopher and historian in Birmingham, AL. Bill's work has been cited in multiple legal journals, and he has appeared as a guest on shows including The Dr. Gina Show, The Michael Hart Show, and Real Science Radio.

Reviews

[Mark K. Vogl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill did a superb job of gathering almost three hundred pages of writings by Benjamin Franklin himself on faith. The revisionists have spent scores of years trying to create the fabrication that America's Founders were Unitarians, agnostics, or lackadaisical Christians. Unfortunately for them, the Founders were prodigious writers who have left a large footprint in the written word. Franklin was no exception. In this work Bill lays out for us Franklin's spiritual journey through life. His definition of a Christian is the best I have ever read, proving his complete understanding of the faith. Like Jefferson, Franklin's personal belief ebbed and waned but who amongst us has not changed our beliefs as God revealed His Word?