Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America | 
| Author: Steven Waldman
Publisher: Random House
Category: Book
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Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 6425
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 1400064376
Dewey Decimal Number: 323.442097309033
EAN: 9781400064373
ASIN: 1400064376
Publication Date: March 11, 2008
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Product Description
The culture wars have distorted the dramatic story of how Americans came to worship freely. Many activists on the right maintain that the United States was founded as a “Christian nation.” Many on the left contend that the Founders were secular or Deist and that the First Amendment was designed to boldly separate church and state throughout the land. None of these claims are true, argues Beliefnet.com editor in chief Steven Waldman. With refreshing objectivity, Waldman narrates the real story of how our nation’s Founders forged a new approach to religious liberty, a revolutionary formula that promoted faith . . . by leaving it alone.
This fast-paced narrative begins with earlier settlers’ stunningly unsuccessful efforts to create a Christian paradise, and concludes with the presidencies of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, during which the men who had devised lofty principles regarding the proper relationship between church and state struggled to practice what they’d preached. We see how religion helped cause, and fuel, the Revolutionary War, and how the surprising alliance between Enlightenment philosophers such as Jefferson and Madison and evangelical Christians resulted in separation of church and state.
As the drama unfolds, Founding Faith vividly describes the religious development of five Founders. Benjamin Franklin melded the morality-focused Puritan theology of his youth and the reason-based Enlightenment philosophy of
his adulthood. John Adams’s pungent views on religion–hatred of the Church of England and Roman Catholics–stoked his revolutionary fervor and shaped his political strategy. George Washington came to view religious tolerance as a military necessity. Thomas Jefferson pursued a dramatic quest to “rescue” Jesus, in part by editing the Bible. Finally, it was James Madison–the tactical leader of the battle for religious freedom–who crafted an integrated vision of how to prevent tyranny while encouraging religious vibrancy.
The spiritual custody battle over the Founding Fathers and the role of religion in America continues today. Waldman provocatively argues that neither side in the culture war has accurately depicted the true origins of the First Amendment. He sets the record straight, revealing the real history of religious freedom to be dramatic, unexpected, paradoxical, and inspiring.
An interactive library of the key writings by the Founding Father, on separation of church and state, personal faith, and religious liberty can be found at www.beliefnet.com/foundingfaith.
Praise for Founding Faith
“Steven Waldman, a veteran journalist and co-founder of Beliefnet.com, a religious web site, surveys the convictions and legacy of the founders clearly and fairly, with a light touch but a careful eye.”—New York Times Book Review
“Waldman ends by encouraging us to be like the founders. We should understand their principles, learn from their experience, then have at it ourselves. “We must pick up the argument that they began and do as they instructed – use our reason to determine our views.” A good place to start is this entertaining, provocative book.”—New York Times Book Review
"Steven Waldman's enlightening new book, "Founding Faith," is wise and engaging on many levels, but Waldman has done a particular service in detailing Madison's role in creating a culture of religious freedom that has served America so well for so long…."Founding Faith" is an excellent book about an important subject: the inescapable—but manageable—intersection of religious belief and public life. With a grasp of history and an understanding of the exigencies of the moment, Waldman finds a middle ground between those who think of the Founders as apostles in powdered wigs and those who assert, equally inaccurately, that the Founders believed religion had no place in politics."–Newsweek
"Well-wrought, well-written and well-reasoned—a welcome infusion of calm good sense into a perennially controversial and relevant subject."–Kirkus
"Founding Faith takes up two central questions about religion in early America. First, what did such Founding Fathers as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison usually believe? And second, how did it come about that the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees that "Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"? The answers to these questions carry implications for our lives today, since at stake is the flash-point principle of the separation of church and state." –Washington Post
“There is a fierce custody battle going on out there for ownership of the Founding Fathers. Founding Faith strikes me as a major contribution to that debate, a sensible and sophisticated argument that the Founders’ religious convictions defy our current categories.”
–Joseph Ellis, author of American Creation
“Steven Waldman does a great job describing the nuances of the Founders’ beliefs and the balances they struck, thus rescuing them from those on both sides who would oversimplify their ideas.”
–Walter Isaacson, president of the Aspen Institute and author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life.
“This is a history every American should know, and Waldman masterfully tells it.”
–Jim Wallis, author of The Great Awakening
“Steven Waldman recovers the founders’ true beliefs with an insightful and truly original argument. It will change the way you think about the separation of church and state.”
–George Stephanopoulos, chief Washington correspondent, ABC News, and anchor of This Week
“Steve Waldman makes the strong case that the culture wars have distorted how and why we have religious freedom in America. Americans can be inspired by this story–the extraordinary birth story of freedom of religion.”
–William J. Bennett, author of America: The Last Best Hope
“An unusually well-balanced book on an unusually controversial subject. Not every reader will agree with Waldman that, of the Founding Fathers, James Madison’s conclusions about religion and society were best. But all should be grateful for the way Waldman replaces myths with facts, clarifies the complexity in making the Founders speak to present-day problems, and allows the Founders who differed with Madison a full and sympathetic hearing. An exceptionally fair, well-researched, and insightful book.”
–Mark A. Noll, University of Notre Dame, author of America’s God
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Fabulous book. June 11, 2008
Fabulous book, especially if you are into American History with a little religion thrown in. Great.
Excellent Religious History Of Early America June 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Mr. Waldman has written a very thorough and very readable book about religion in the era of the Revolutionary War as well as the role of religion in the creation of the constitution and the First Amendment. Mr. Waldman has not only written an account of the trends in the period of the constitution but describes the religious beliefs of the most important figures of the period, namely John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Goerge Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Mr. Waldman demonstrates how these men were religious and believed in the role and utility of religion in society but were not dogmatic. Instead these men often used reason and conscience to refine and modify religious dogma. Mr. Waldman also describes how evangelicals as well as religious skeptics helped formulate the First Amendment to protect religion as well as skepticism from any government sponsored or established church.
It must be noted that Mr. Waldman's book is extremely well referenced with both extensive footnotes and references. Mr. Waldman has obviously done original and stirling work in the research for this book. And Mr. Waldman does his best to be objective, to present the evidence regardless of its effect on the present day religious debate. Needless to say this book is invaluable.
Will this book end present day religious disputes? No. But this book will provide a factual and objective basis to uderlay the debate.
Mr. Waldman has demonstrated he is able to be much more than a weenie of the uberstatist Charles Peters.
Give this book a read.
Faith and Government May 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Founding Faith is a very timely book. Many people on the far left and far right like to use words from some of our founding fathers as evidence that their philosophies are justified. Waldman is very balanced throughout this book. He shows how both sides get it wrong and where they get part of it right. In this book the central topic is as the title makes clear the role of religion in the founding of our nation. Key individuals discussed in some depth include George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison "the father of the Constitution".
This period in American history, like other major periods including the Civil War, has seen a real proliferation of titles for the public's consumption, indicating a high interest and a real market (profit interest is always a factor) in the public's yearning to know more about our roots as a nation. The First Amendment rights, which include freedom of religion, are rights deeply ingrained in most Americans, but do we really know the background behind it. This is Waldman's focus.
Waldman looks at the earliest settlers and the role religion played, which was a significant one. Many were seeking religious liberty from the incidents of oppression experienced in Great Britain. But along with this search for religious freedom came some not so pleasant attitudes, such as anti-Catholicism, persecution of "witches" and others who held "deviant" beliefs. The Great Awakening and the impact of preachers like George Whitefield and others are all discussed in the course of the early years of the United States. Of course what will probably interest most readers are the views held by the "big figures" of the Revolutionary War period and the early years of the republic. What did Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Madison, and others think about faith? Were the founders Deists? Did they really want a wall of separation between church and state? Were they pluralists or were they tolerant of the Christian faith only? These are the types of questions that will be asked and at least partially answered.
As Waldman writes, Washington's experience as commander of the Continental Army and its diverse group of men had a major impact on his attitude towards the diversities of faith. Jefferson's enlightenment views and his views of the clergy had a lasting impact on his religious attitudes. Madison's experiences in a Christian associated university and the plight of minority Christian denominations in his home region of Virginia were factors in shaping his views. In essence, the backgrounds of each founder had lasting impact. But in addition, these views could evolve or become more simplified as time passed for these leaders.
Many other figures make appearances here including other prominent politicians, preachers, and etc. who played a role in the debates surrounding religious liberty. There were established churches in many of the colonies before and after the famous First Amendment was ratified. The debate over a national establishment of a particular faith was what most interested the founders, though some did see a problem at the state level. Madison is the man who most comes across as the one who wanted to ensure through the law that government and religion should be protected from each other, but as Madison believed, according to the author, for the betterment of religion. Why did religion need the support of government when faith and belief in God should be enough? This is the type of reasoning the author makes in discerning the views held by those who argued for separation of church and state.
This is an endlessly fascinating study and could lead to further analysis of each of these major founders and how they were influenced by faith, but I'm cutting it short. I found it an enjoyable read and one that will hopefully lead people to be more open to interpreting what was said and done by our nation's earliest leaders.
Right on Target May 19, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A first-rate work of historical scholarship. Based on a close reading of original texts, Waldman neatly corrects the distortions wrought by partisans on the issue of separation of church and state in America. Those on the right will, if they are honest, be chastened for their belief that Christianity is somehow embedded in our federal government (it is not), while those on the left will be surprised to learn that the Founders were as much concerned to PROMOTE Christianity through separation of church and state as they were to ensure man's freedom not to participate in religion at all. Particularly illuminating to this reader was Waldman's point that the 1789 Founders did not view the Constitution as precluding establishment of particular religions by the STATES -- and that it was not until the protections of the First Amendment were deemed "incorporated" into the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of due process to citizens of the several states that this policy was proscribed. This is a must read for anyone who, like me, believes in the strict separation of church and state, for, merely by laying out the facts in an even-handed and objective way, Waldman establishes the central point: honest people can disagree how much the Founders wanted Christianity to flourish in our society; they cannot disagree that neither Christianity nor any other religion forms any part of our CONSTITUTIONAL order.
A very reasoned look at a controversial subject May 5, 2008
Current conservative thinking depicts the founders of the United States as staunch Christians, therefore we need religion in our daily discourse. This book uses copious footnotes to refute this belief. It is also a fast and entertaining read. Highly recommended for anyone who needs ammunition to counter conservatives' arguments to make the US a Christian-based and -run nation.
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