THE Faiths of Our Fathers; What America's Founders Really Believed

by Alf J. Mapp Jr.

DESK

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

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

While no author is completely free of bias, Alf Mapp's leanings are unapologetically clear. In most cases, his conclusions are supported by valid but carefully selected snippets of correspondence, journals and speeches. In other instances, his essay on Benjamin Franklin for example, the database is more vague.

I also found it oddly convenient that the author elected to include rather obscure statesmen like Haym Salomon and Charles Carroll and ignored the likes of Thomas Paine and Ethan Allen.

On the influence of the King James version of the bible, Mapp writes, "The modern translations are not so dauntingly minatory as the one with which [George Washington] was familiar. But if he had not been accustomed to reading the King James version, his own prose would have lacked the grandeur that it sometimes attained when echoing that great masterpiece." ~ hmmm...

All that being said, Mapp's conclusions aren't necessarily wrong. There are, after all, over two centuries between the colonial revolution and the author's publication. In many cases the only evidence of religious conviction (or lack there-of) is circumstantial, and Mapp does a good job of putting all his ducks in a row. Still, there are several relevant quotes that didn't make the cut that could have given some of the essays more balance.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

To his credit, the author does a good job of showing how many of the founding fathers had grown up in a system where there was in fact a state religion, and how that had led to the persecution of those of other faiths. Of particular note are several mentions of how Baptists suffered under the Anglican state religion, and how they were strong supporters of the separation of church and state, going so far as to reject offers of state sponsorship from those who sought to retain a link between church and state, finding it preferable that separation be achieved than that they should join the ranks of state sponsored religions.

The author also shows that the founding fathers were not united in faith, and that in at least some cases it was their very faith that drove them to strive for separation of church and state, but seems strangely determined to minimize the role of Deism amongst the founding fathers.

To start with, his attempts to show that Jefferson and Washington were not Deists seem to me rather weak, but more importantly is the omission of any who were unambiguously Deist. Thomas Paine gets only a passing mention. A book that was truly interested in canvassing the beliefs of the founding fathers certainly should have devoted more attention to this outspoken Deist and critic of Christianity, even if only to show how unusual some of his beliefs were.

[Dave Dentel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the things one could claim about America’s Founding Fathers, among the least controversial is to assert that their bold experiment in democracy also brought about expanded civil liberties--most notably for religious freedom.

But what inspired this achievement? More to the point, just what sort of personal faith did these men adhere to, and how did it affect them?

Over the past two-and-a-half centuries this question has inspired countless inquiries and no small amount of debate--especially among those keen on advancing a particular ideology.

Nuanced Summaries

In the conservative evangelical circles I grew up in, it was fashionable to imagine that George Washington and many of his compatriots held views that placed them just one or two finer points of theology away from being fellow Bible-thumping revivalists.

On the other hand, I’m sure Google could easily turn up freethinkers and liberal scholars who claim Thomas Jefferson and similar revolutionaries rejected Christianity in favor of deism and atheism.

This longstanding partisan approach to the discussion makes it refreshing to encounter a book like Alf J. Mapp Jr.’s The Faith of Our Fathers: What America’s Founders Really Believed.

His short, scholarly--yet accessible--work examines the lives of 11 prominent figures of the American Revolution and produces credible, nuanced summaries of their religious views. Mapp shows that men like Washington and Jefferson did not simply parrot prevailing creeds, but thought deeply about the divine, about duties owed to God and man, and how the prospect of someday facing an eternal judge should influence their actions and beliefs.

Where the Evidence Leads

Not that Mapp’s accounts are dogmatic or simplistic. He acknowledges the difficulty of finding enough reliable evidence to detail something most people guard as deeply personal, and adds that the search is made more arduous given the fact that we’re dealing with men who were public servants and politicians in a nascent democracy.

Though it’s true men like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton often dealt in fiery rhetoric, the broader reality is that they could not afford always to bluster or dictate. They had to sway people, and to do so entailed casting themselves not as reactionaries or elitists, but as trustworthy fellow-travelers. This also meant sometimes having to disguise certain beliefs or aspects of their personas if these traits put them at risk of alienating constituents.

Mapp acknowledges this in his account of Benjamin Franklin’s rather peculiar view of God (or rather, gods). When writing about the topic, observes Mapp, Franklin displayed a “frequent habit of achieving agreement with a correspondent even if he had to confine himself to partial truths, trotting his own views out in costumes more concealing than revealing.” Mapp adds: “He was resolved not to inspire hatred … if tactfulness could prevent it.”

Digging Deeper

The author also reveals intriguing--and surprising--tidbits about various Founders’ relationships to religion, how these relationships changed over time, and how they were manifested in the behavior of these men.

Washington, for example, served as an officer in the Episcopal Church and frequented worship services. But he often refused communion. Was this reluctance, Mapp wonders, not because Washington eschewed the sacrament, but because he doubted his own worthiness to partake of the holy ritual?

Then there’s Jefferson, who admired the ethics of Jesus but famously balked at believing the Galilean performed supernatural deeds. But as he aged, Jefferson often went to hear a Baptist preacher--who was also a good friend--deliver evangelical sermons. Did Jefferson finally embrace Christ as the son of God?

Hamilton, as well, apparently “turned increasingly to things of the spirit” as he entered middle age. According to Mapp, Hamilton even “proposed a national organization of Christian activists to work for a conservative political agenda.”

Faith to Faith

And though the author takes pains to point out that the Founders were not monolithic, a theme in their collective religious beliefs definitely emerges. It is plain that Washington, Jefferson and others held Christian morality in high regard, and they intended that the essence of Christ’s teachings should infuse the legal and social fabric of the nation they were creating.

For many of these men this intention was also borne out in a deep personal faith.

Mapp illustrates this truth in his summation of Charles Carroll, who apparently leveraged his renown as a great patriot to try and persuade friends and loved ones to embrace the gospel and its promise of eternal salvation.

As the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, writes Mapp, Carroll “was revered as the paterfamilias of a nation. Heartened by his accomplishments, but questioning his own selflessness, he relied on the mercy of the Heavenly Father and the intercession of the Son.”

[Keith S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alf J Mapp Jr wrote an accessibly written, flyover account of the religious views and practices of 11 Founders of America. At only 160 pages, matched with very readable prose, he created a book designed for lay audiences. However, the book suffers from lack of theological depth.

First, I must give credit to this book’s readability. Mapp Jr’s grammar is structured well while also employing a lofty but not pretentious vocabulary. The book turns a potentially big subject into easy reading.

Second, I found the information about these American Founders religious beliefs to be as interesting as their lives were. Benjamin Franklin is always referred to as a Deist, but Mapp Jr taught me that Franklin was a polytheist, who did believe in a god intervening in human affairs, at least as a young adult. Jefferson hated Plato, so he also despised the writings of the Apostle Paul who Jefferson thought was too Platonist. George Washington and John Marshall both frequently attended church service but are both known to have rejected communion. Hamilton had to promise to never engage in dueling for the Reverend to administer Last Rites.

Third, and this is not as much a criticism as an observation, Mapp Jr has a bias, whether conscious or unconscious, towards pluralism with a hint of skepticism. There is some internal back-patting in this book about how some factions (e.g.; the evangelical right and the atheist left) write about the Founder’s religions, or lack thereof, with dogs-in-the-fight. The implication being that Mapp Jr treats the matter without a bias of his own. That is silly. Every historian, every person, presents evidence about history according to their biases. Mapp Jr’s pluralistic commitment bleeds through with the inclusion among his eleven chosen founders of (a) the only Catholic to sign the Declaration, Charles Carroll, and (b) a Jewish financier of the Revolution, Haym Solomon. They are chosen for chapters of their own at the expense of Samuel Adams, Roger Sherman, Bob Livingston, Edmund Randolph, and Thomas Paine. This again is not necessarily a problem with the book. Mapp Jr is certainly allowed to express interest in the religious minority, but it is an agenda worth noting.

On a related note, Mapp Jr’s worldview and, as a consequence, his commentary is sometimes silly. When talking about Charles Carroll’s certainty about the veracity of the Catholic religion, Mapp Jr feels the need to both comment on and defend Carroll as a product of his experience (p. 141-142). Even though he ultimately defends Carroll, there appears to be an implied criticism in the commentary. The author must either himself be a skeptic afraid of absolute claims or assume the audience to be afraid of absolute claims. This is I think the worst example of his commentary, for I would think writers and readers about religion would have the maturity to accept people have confidence in their own dogma. Mapp Jr’s other opinions also elicit eye rolls.

Finally, the largest issue with the book is its omission of discussions on core Christian theological beliefs such as Christology. I first noticed the problem in the 6-page chapter on John Marshall. A Protestant reader of this book may be forgiven for thinking Marshall was a committed Protestant, aside from the refusal of communion, but for whatever reason, Mapp Jr completely neglects to mention Marshall’s rejection of Christ’s divinity. Given that the subtitle of the book is “What America’s Founders Really Believe” (the word “really” is underlined), this is a really odd omission. In fact, with the title and subtitle being what they are, any aberrant views on core Christian doctrines should have absolutely been mentioned.

The exclusion of Marshall’s Christological beliefs is likely rooted in Mapp Jr’s prioritization of other theological issues. My source for Marshall’s Christology is Jean Smith’s Biography of John Marshall which is actually in Mapp Jr’s bibliography. This means Mapp Jr certainly would have known or at least come across the fact. Instead, Mapp Jr seems to prioritize frequency of church attendance, church giving, views on religious freedom, partaking of communion, views on scripture, views on religions’s influence on societal ethics, views on afterlife, and views on providence. He claims in the beginning of the bibliography that he is not a theologian and did not consult many theological works, but again, the title of the book is “The Faiths of Our Fathers” not “The Religious Practices of Our Fathers”.

Another oddity about the omission of Marshall’s Christological views is that the book is only 161 pages and the Marshall chapter only 6 pages. There was easily room for this discussion. Alternatively, he could have eliminated the Marshall chapter altogether. Marshall never served in either version of the Continental Congress nor the Constitutional Convention. Yes, Marshall was both a Revolutionary War soldier and a Virginian delegate who ratified the Constitution, so his inclusion as a Founder is merited but not necessitated. Then again, when taking into account that Samuel Adams, Roger Sherman, Bob Livingston, Edmund Randolph, and Thomas Paine are all absent, Marshall’s inclusion hardly seems warranted at all.

The book lost my trust. The omission of Marshall’s Christological views is only what I actually caught. What is more concerning are the potential omissions about other Founders that I did not catch. I’m not an expert on all these men, so I read books like this to fill in the gaps.

On the whole, there was nothing in the book that I thought was incorrect. There was at least one thing that was not included. I still found the book well written and edifying concerning the content which was present. Since it is only 160 pages and accessible, it could still potentially be a valuable beach read to someone.

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like the idea of this book. The religion of our Founding Fathers has been a constant debate since they signed the Declaration of Independence. Some believe they were devout Christians who designed our nation to follow Judeo-Christian values. Others hold that they were mostly deists who valued ethics over a closely followed faith. The truth is, the founders represented a wide spectrum of religious faith. But this debate rages on and nearly 250 years later, we still argue over religion's proper role in Government.

Unfortunately, this book fails to deliver on my expectations. It suffers from an identity crisis. It is split into short discussions on 11 of the Founding Fathers. I'm those chapters, we get part religion, part biography, and part history.

I think a large part of that is due to the author's choice in subjects. Men like Jefferson, Washington, and Adams are well known. Readers don't need a review of their actions. So Mapp was able to focus on their respective religious faiths. And that is what I expected from a book entitled The Faith of our Fathers.

But others, like Haym Salomon and Charles Carroll, are unknown to all but the most serious students of the revolution. Rather than devote the pages to their faith, Mapp provides essentially an abridged biography of each. Their religion is almost ignored. At one point, Mapp literally writes "we know tantalizingly little about Salomon's personal faith." If we don't know about his faith, why even include him in a book about the faith of our founders?

It almost seems like Mapp started writing about the faith of the well known players of the revolution and then decided halfway through that he wanted to inform readers about lesser known founders he believed deserved more notoriety. That is actually an interesting direction for a book. But in this case, with the condensed style of the book (it's barely 150 pages), Mapp probably should have stuck to the faith of our most prevalent Fathers.

[Darren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book starts out with a really good, thorough deep dive into the religious mindset of Jefferson and Franklin. These two alone are over 1/4 of the book. These analyses definitely met the expectation for what this book promised. However, the remaining chapters consist mostly of mini biographies of the founders with a light touch on religion. For most, there is really little insight on the religious thinking of the founders, and subsequent chapters lack any depth into the religious lives of the subject on the scale that the author gives to Jefferson and Franklin.

And then we get to Charles Carroll of Carrollton. This is one of the longest chapters, with a quite lengthy diatribe of Carroll’s contribution, yet his exclusion from true citizenship since he was Catholic. My guess is that the author is either a descendant of Carroll, and used this forum to bolster his ancestor’s contribution to our country’s founding, or that the author is himself Catholic, and this chapter provided a means of expounding on the role of a key figure in this period of American history that professed the Catholic faith. Either way, this chapter is imbalanced in the book and seems overspent, while other key founders like Washington, Madison, Hamilton, etc. are downplayed in contrast to Carroll.

Overall, I was disappointed. It would have been better to invest the time to read biographies on each of the founders separately to get a more in-depth understanding of what religious thought drove each man to the decisions and actions that put them in the limelight of our country’s founding. However, there are nuggets of insight through the book, and the author does a thorough job with a few of the subjects. But all-in-all, it was disappointing as I did not feel that I garnered what I set out to learn based on the billing of this book.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting insight into the religious landscape in the years leading up to our declaration of independence. The author makes a strong case for the following ideas:
There was already a plethora of religious sects, cults, and mainstream denominations, but religious practice was rather different than much of what we see today. The Founders were a diverse group, but all a product of the norm of the times, i.e. state sponsored religion. Each of the colonies was formed around one primary Christian denomination with varying degrees of acceptance or tolerance of others, but to me it speaks volumes that this practice was not enshrined in the Constitution.
The fact that many of the Founders also avoided taking Communion and being Confirmed suggests that they had Deistic leanings informed by Enlightenment philosophies and values.
Important reading for anyone interested in the roots of the church/state conflict.

[StephenM · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay for what it is, but not recommended if you want a serious consideration of the topic. Mapp offers brief chapters on a decent selection of Founders, giving mini-biographies along with his description of their religious views. He tries to give these chapters narrative drives, sprinkling in anecdotes and editorial comments, but the result did not leave me confident in his scholarship. His editorial judgments were also odd--he more or less praises any form of religious belief or moral principle, even if they are clearly heterodox or heretical, leaving me to wonder just what his personal views are.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summary of what the Founding Fathers thought and practiced throughout their lives and how it shaped the foundation for a republic that embraces all religion, or lack thereof. This book helps dismantle the uneducated argument that the founders were all Christian and, thus, this country is a Christian nation. Their thought process and philosophies were the compete opposite of such a narrow-minded thought and instead embraced and encouraged freedom of and from religion.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a useful little compendium of information on the most prominent founding fathers and their religious beliefs, but I was not wowed by this book as a serious work of history. This is essentially just a collection of well known information, conveniently categorized for the reading, but demonstrating no particular scholarship or analysis of the information. Historical interpretation in this book is at a minimum, which, considering the kinds of flimsy and essentially useless conclusions that the author comes to when he does deploy his powers of analysis, is something for which we should probably be thankful. Ultimately, the subtitle of this book, "What the Founding Fathers REALLY Believed" is promising an impossible product. It is almost impossible to determine what a person believes, and attempting to reconstitute such beliefs after two centuries is a fool's errand, no matter how gifted the historian (and we're not exactly dealing with the cream of the crop with Mapp as it is). Then take into account the fact that the people in question were politicians, whose public pronouncements must always be read with a certain skepticism, and you see how unlikely it is that this book fulfill the promise of its title. Certainly, anecdotal evidence and private letters can help to confirm or deny certain suppositions, but trying to pinpoint exactly what "the founding fathers really believed" is ultimately a wild goose chase.

[Michael Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars out of 5. Disappointing. Famous and obscure heroes of the revolutionary war are given separate chapters that provide biographical information and religious tendencies, not always in equal measure. Where is Burr? Monroe? Who is Carroll? Salomon? I expected some description of the arguments and events that led to the religion/state separation clause in the first amendment. I didn’t get anything like that, though I would have liked some verification that evangelical sects supported the notion because they were small and would not have been selected as the state religion. How different from today. On the other hand, Mapp did devote a chapter to the great Christian revival of the period. I guess I wanted this book to be entirely different than it was. I probably should have given it one star.

[Erwin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alf J. Mapp, Jr., The Faiths of Our Fathers: What America’s Founders Really Believed explained the eleven framers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were products of different classes, and background in the colonies. Their ideas reflected diverse learning, and religious beliefs resulting in success. Our Fathers were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, John Adams, George Washington, John Marshall, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton, George Mason, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and Haym Solomon.

[Roland W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief, but highly informative survey of the religious beliefs of several of our countries founding fathers. The diversity of their religious consciences, social backgrounds and growing belief that freedom from tyranny could be attained through only one avenue led to the war for independence and the creation of some of the greatest governing documents in human history. Highly recommended.

[Erik Ryberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book seems to lose a bit of focus on the role of religion and become a series of biographies. These biographies are quite interesting and of some figures that are not so well-known amongst the general public. If you are looking to deepen your knowledge of these figures it is a worthwhile reader which may cause you to seek out more about their lives or the time period.

[Carri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not particularly well written.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A high level summary of what some of the founding fathers believed. It was fairly easy to read, but in order to make it easy to read the author had to leave out most of the details and actual writings. A good start and summary to be sure. Always good to remember the diversity of religious thought (and those that were not believers in religion) that existed back when America became a country.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Faiths Of Our Fathers” is written by Alf J. Mapp, Jr. (2003©). Mapp is a colonial historian and this book is somewhat interesting in providing context about the differences in beliefs across the colonies. Other than that, my own belief is that the author is biased towards “Christian” beliefs and caries this bias across in his writing. The book attempts to offer a Catholic (Charles Carroll of Carrollton) and a Jew (Haym Solomon) as secondary evidence that one (an American of historical significance) can be deeply religious without being Protestant. In fact, many of the most prominent founders – Washington, Jefferson and Franklin (for example) were Deists – they believed in a supreme being – but did not hold that being MUST be Christian (let alone a trinity).

While it is certainly true that most of the founding fathers were raised in a Christian faith, it is NOT accurate to portray them as devout Christians – which is definitely the feeling I was left with after reading this book. For example: Washington did not partake of Communion. When confronted about this and advised that others in the church found his actions “confusing”, Washington stopped attending services altogether. Jefferson rewrote the Bible removing all references to miracles, because he considered them fantasy. And, Franklin was a deist who questioned the divinity of Jesus Christ in his autobiography and in letters to friends.

As stated, the book is somewhat interesting as it describes the faiths during the time of the founding of the United States and it is a short book. Other than those two observations, it is difficult to give this book more than a passing recommendation.

[Mike Emett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who thinks this book disproves the Right's belief of religious minded or influenced Founders are just plain dumb. The book proves that, for the ones the author chose (who knows why more are not included, I do not know) all had a belief in God and religion and were influenced by religion and faith and wanted everyone to have theirs protected. This book disproves the Leftist notion that religion and faith had no role or influence. I learned much from this book. I learned that the Founder's would be pissed at how Christians and Jews are being attacked and losing their right to worship while the nation appeases and grants favors and such to others. People: Religion played a major role in the lives of the Founders, yes even Jefferson WHO WAS NOT AN ATHEIST! Read with an open mind wanting to learn. Not being objective will do more harm than good. A great book

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book had some interesting information about religion in pre-Revolutionary America...and particularly in the lives of several of the Founding Fathers. However, I do not think that the author stayed focused on his topic. Also, the book was not well-edited. Several times, I found the same idea conveyed more than once within the same story. As if the author wrote it in one place and decided to move it to another place and then it was never removed from the original place.

There was definitely some very interesting insight into the notion of separation of church and state in early America as well as a lot of information about religious persecutions that went on.

[Chris Burd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of independent essays about the religious or spiritual faith of some of the prominent founding fathers. You could pick up the book and read any of the chapters independently, as they don't have a connected narrative that must be followed consecutively.

I'm tempted to criticize, as there were a few chapters that focused very heavily on biographical details that had little to do with the faith of the subject and seemed to be out of place - and yet I just generally really enjoyed reading this and any complaints I have are just nit-picking on an otherwise highly interesting (and relatively short) book.

[William Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as an impulse buy Noble from the “Books for Grads” table as I was checking out of Barnes & Noble last month. The fact that Mapp has done the research from original writings for each of the founders he discusses, and bases his conclusions on this information made the book a worthwhile read for me. I have read a least one biography on most of the founders he discusses; several on some of them. It is my opinion that his conclusions are right on target. And, it is an easy read, also a plus.

[Andrew Rothstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

We seem to be hearing more and more that the Constitution was developed on religious principles and that the drafters wanted religion well embedded in our government.

Read this and have the lie put that that thinking. There was a big range of religious practice among the drafters, with some being barely observant. What they had in common was a firm belief in the separation of church and state. While there were some religious references in the Constitution, the intent cannot be in doubt.

By the way, you get some information about some of the less celebrated founders.

[Christopher Carbone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-done book that explains the faith of the Founding Fathers of the United States and shows how few (if any) would be categorized as “Christian” in today’s day and age and how many would probably be atheists or agnostic. However, the book also shows how all of these men separated themselves from their beliefs to make the US a secular nation to grow forever separate and ap[art from any church. It also dispels many myths around the founders and their faiths (ie: the nonsensical idea that Washington got down on his knees and prayed at Valley Forge).

[Christian Dibblee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a book that will radically change your understanding of history, but it does provide much-needed background on a topic that is directly important to how our nation was founded. I also liked that the author included some lesser known Fathers. He also did a wonderful job presenting the religious views of each figure within the boundaries of their personal biographical story. Definitely a good survey on the subject, and a very slim volume for easy reading.

[Tim Titolo]

So the founding fathers were not all church going extreme right conservatives. SO how should the constitution be interpreted and applied. I side with the view that it must be molded issue by issue into what is called for by the times and the case. That, I believe, is what the founding fathers provided for.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provided interesting insights into the religious thoughts and pursuits of our founding fathers. Although most did not belong to a specific denomination, they were seekers of truth and I enjoyed reading their writings and feelings.

[Gerry Connolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Faiths of our Father's Alf Mapp, Jr. has written a concise summation of the religious impulses of the Founders. Hard to make the case they founded a Christian nation. They were Deists, agnostics, Anglicans, Unitarians, Jews, Congregationalists and Catholics. ‎They wanted no established religion

[Kevin Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure the book is 100% historically accurate and I am left with the impression that the author is not very familiar with Evangelical Christianity. Yet, it's probably worth the read as it gives quite a different perspective on the Founders, at least much of which is probably true...

[Dale Bjorkman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice overview of founding fathers from a unique perspective. Not as well written as I would have liked, but interesting.

[Donovan Walling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief but interesting and authoritative reading about the religious beliefs and influences of the men who founded the United States.