Ordinary Greatness: A Life of Elias Boudinot

by Andrew Farmer

“In the era of the American Revolution, Elias Boudinot was friendly, generous, welcoming, a problem-solver, a man of faith, a person you’d enjoy getting to know.” ―Jonathan Den Hartog, Samford University You won’t find this American Founder on a coin or a Broadway musical. But Elias Boudinot (1740–1821) left an enduring mark on history. Hamilton’s mentor. Washington’s friend. President of the Continental Congress, Revolutionary War veteran, legislator, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and abolitionist. Boudinot shaped governments, schools, churches, and charities. Now, in the first biography dedicated to his life in 50 years, Ordinary Greatness invites readers to discover the compelling story of this Founder’s dedication to faith and liberty amid volatile times. Set in times of division and change not unlike our own, Ordinary Greatness guides readers from the Great Awakening to the early Republic. It explores Boudinot’s life alongside four of his close George Whitefield, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. It shows how Boudinot’s faith shaped his public and private roles and his convictions on government, slavery, and missions. And it offers a new generation fresh inspiration and courage to face our own challenges. From the Introduction “Elias Boudinot was born into, grew up in, and actively engaged with, a world of volatile change. Some of his contemporaries saw in this change the wanton destruction of the established order. Others saw the opportunity to build something new, though what a new order should look like was itself in debate. Boudinot was known as a lover of liberty and a patriot of passion and principle. But his deepest commitment was to the religious faith handed down to him across generations. Elias Boudinot stood at the crossroads of radical ideas of liberty and historic creeds of faith. The way he navigated that intersection makes his story worth knowing.” ―Andrew Farmer, Ordinary Greatness Who was Elias Boudinot? “Boudinot is of particular importance, because he was a born-again Presbyterian, whose evangelical views were probably closer to those of the majority of his countrymen than were those of most of his fellow Founders.” ―James H. Hutson, in The Founders on Religion (2005) • Child of the Great Awakening, baptized by George Whitefield • Next-door neighbor to Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards, and George Washington • Revolutionary War officer under Washington (and long-time member of Washington’s inner circle) • Spiritual and political mentor of Alexander Hamilton • President of the Continental Congress • Member of the First, Second, and Third US Congresses • Director of the US Mint • Trustee of the College of New Jersey (Princeton University) • Passionate abolitionist with the most consistent record against slavery among the Founders • Philanthropic entrepreneur for missional, social, and community causes • Founder of American Bible Society Discover more about Boudinot’s life and legacy in Ordinary Greatness.

288 pages, Paperback

Published October 17, 2022

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Not only did I learn so much, but I grew to admire this man, Elias Boudinot, and found myself graciously inspired by his life – – a desire I believe the author intended if you read the final page. This is a work of historical non-fiction, yet it reads often like a narrative, so it carries the reader along with enjoyable interest and contemplation. We see Budinot’s strengths and weaknesses, his godly traits and his flaws, but overall, as communicated by the title of the book, we see just an ordinary man who glorified God greatly and served others well in the body of Christ, his family, the community, and nation. This book has given me a lot to think about in a good way – – “How can I be more fully consecrated to Christ and his kingdom work here? “I highly recommend it!

[Gabriel Magill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating biography about an ordinary man thrust in among extraordinary men. Boudinot in his life lived next door to George Washington and Benjamin Franklin at different times, helped raise Alexander Hamilton in his home, was baptized by George Whitfield, served as a general in the revolutionary war, taught himself minting after taking over the failing national mint in its infancy in order to save the newly founded national bank, helped found Princeton Theological Seminary, and at the end of his life started the American Bible Society. Boudinot was also a fierce abolitionist before such a thing was common or popular. He is someone who I have seen pop up in many of the biographies of the early American founders and of early American foreign missions but who is never given more than a passing reference. This biography does a great job of showing the profound impact an ordinary man of faith can have on the world by standing faithfully on his convictions and seeking opportunities to serve well.