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Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America (Unabridged) | 
| Author: Steven Waldman
Publisher: audible.com
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  21 reviews
Media: Audio Download
ASIN: B0015VEVV2
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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
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 "The Godly Roots Of Rebellion" & 'Saint' James Madison September 30, 2008
"Is an Ecclesiastical Establishment absolutely necessary to support civil society in a supreme Government?" So James Madison asked a Pennsylvanian friend in 1773 before making a huge contribution to the writing of the American Constitution.
"... at the time of ratification, few states had religious liberty of the sort that Madison wanted. All but two states had religious tests banning Jews, Unitarians, and agnostics from public office. Taxpayers supported the churches and ministers in MA, NH, CT, NJ, GA, NC, and SC. In some states, only Trinitarian Protestants could vote or testify in trials. It was considered blasphemy, and therefore illegal in some states, to criticize, reproach, or deny Christianity, the Trinity, Jesus Christ, or the Bible. Nontheists were restricted from owning property or giving money to certain charities; schools required religious services; and people were regularly prosecuted for not observing the Sabbath. All THAT, THE US CONSTITUTION LET STAND." (emphasis added)
"The First Amendment was a grand declaration that the federal government couldn't support or regulate religion---but it was also a grand declaration that states absolutely could." "That was part of the compromise that enabled the First Amendment to gain widespread support." p156
Then why, as some are prone to argue, wasn't God mentioned in the US Constitution? Or why didn't the founders give pride of place to religion therein?
"The new England colonies---MA, CT, NH---were dominated by Puritans and their Congregational churches. They disliked the Anglicans. VA, NC, SC, and GA were at one point or another dominated by the Church of England. They disliked Puritans." RI was more tolerant. PA gave protection to Quakers and other minorities. Thanks to the trading issue the Dutch embraced religious tolerance earlier than other countries. So New Amsterdam, before becoming NY, shared a bit of this inclination. Maryland was settled explicitly as a refuge for Catholics, through a land grant by Charles l to Catholic convert George Calvert, aka Lord Baltimore, in 1632. By 1681 Protestants outnumbered Catholics in MD 30 to 1. The Church of England was established soon after. By 1700 the colony prevented Catholics from inheriting or purchasing land; by 1704 catholic worship was prohibited; by 1716 public office holders were required to swear allegiance to the Church of England. And by 1718 Catholics were denied even the right to vote unless they did likewise."
Thus, one could easily argue, as James Madison himself did, that "The absence of God from the Constitution was pro-religion."
"Much of the population had been raised to believe that to ensure a religion's health, the state must support it. The Constitution demanded a paradigm shift, away from public responsibility and toward private." As George Washington said: "The path of true piety is so plain as to require but little political direction." To boot, "on the very day the House of Representatives passed the Bill of Rights, it approved a resolution for a `day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed...[for] the many signal favors of Almighty God.'" "It would not be until after the passage of the 14th Amendment in 1868 that states would fall under the restrictions of the US Constitution's Bill of Rights."
"The New World was settled to promote Christianity. For more than 150 years, colonial governments actively supported the dominant faith. Less acknowledged today is a point well understood by the Founding Fathers: Nearly all of these experiments in state encouragement of religion failed." p.3 Moreover, in the American colonies "Before 1690, 90% of churches were affiliated with dominant sects---Congregationalism or Anglicism. By 1770, only 35% were." "By the time of the Revolution, religious minorities were in the majority." This evolution, in turn, led to "the revolutionary view that political and religious freedom were intertwined." And the fact that Great Britain had a state church made it an almost effortless leap for many colonists to carryover their hostility to Britain's state church and Anglicanism into hostility for Great Britain itself. That is the author's view herein. That the 1726-60 Great Awakening in American colonies heavily influenced colonists towards being inclined, whence given some cause, to consider breaking with Great Britain. The author could just as easily called this book "The Godly Roots of Rebellion." The "break from Britain had many causes, but desire for religious freedom was one of them. In the South, the Church of England was the official religion, even though the majority of the population by that point was not Anglican. The oppressiveness of the Church seemed part and parcel of the royal tyranny." p195. Hence the revolutionary troops banner called by Pennsylvania's troops: "Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God." This message was also proposed (by Franklin) as part of the American national seal. p.107
The US Constitutional/Presidential oath: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
It wasn't put in the Constitution, it wasn't official in other words, but for Washington (not to mention other Founding Fathers) it apparently was not a stretch to add a coda to the above oath: "So help me God." As George Washington said, America was great first because of "cheapness of land" which allowed many to own property ...and secondly because of "civil and religious" liberty; civil and religious liberty being not at odds with each other, but being intrinsically connected. Cheers
PS: This book provides great internet links for the papers of Washington, Adams, Jefferson and many other archived historical resources. Consult the author's website for the details: Belief net . com
 Fascinating, factual and entertaining September 26, 2008
If you enjoy discussing history, politics and religion, you will be fascinated by this fact-based review of what the founding fathers thought and believed as they designed this country's principles of religious freedom. Well researched and documented, it moves beyond the rhetoric often heard from today's advocates for one interpretation versus another regarding the separation of church and state. Instead of the partial picture each camp utilizes to promote its argument, Steven Waldman lays out the history of governments and religion that preceded the constitution, the various positions held by the founders that came together to agree on the fundamental principles of this country, and how the early precedents were set. This is a well written and entertaining insight into our way of life.
Religious freedom was relative August 8, 2008
The evolution of religious freedom in America has been of interest to me for years. Waldman's book is balanced, insightful, and well documented. His explanation of the Founding Fathers' views of religion provides human interest. It seems there was less religious freedom in early America than we might imagine; what we have today is the result of compromise. Waldman also brings in elements of today's debate over religious freedom, although the focus remains on the historical context.
An excellent book, required reading for both sides! August 6, 2008
This is truly an excellent book. It's really the first non-hysterical treatment of church-state separation I've ever read. Written in a very readable style, the book is easily accessible to a high school student or even a bright middle-schooler, yet the wealth of footnotes and references, and the extensive bibliography, provide ample starting places for those interested in digging deeper.
Moreover, as a Christian, I found this a very encouraging book. If you've already made up your mind on either side of the debate, the book will probably just irritate you. But if you're concerned and trying to make sense of the discussion, this book is great. It made clear, for starts, that the culture wars we have now on the separation of church and state started with the founding of the country (and actually before). "Founding Fathers" on both sides of the issue had well-thought-out reasons for their positions, which the author articulates. Most interesting of all, perhaps, is that much of the drive for church-state separation came from Christians who felt that the interaction of government and religion harmed faith, which, after some discussion, turns out to be a compelling view.
In short, I found the book quite valuable, and will keep it instead of donating it to the public library where most of my purchased books go. I wish that I could make those I know on both sides of the issue read this thing.
Fair and balanced, as were they July 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A couple things make this book exceptional. The first thing the reader will soon notice is Waldman's even handed portrayal of Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Henry, Franklin, et al. He is, however, no apologist, nor should he be. Yet, the reasons for the "grand infidel" Jefferson's insistence on isolating Congress from decisions over states' sovereignty with regard to religion deserves--demands--that we understand his motives.
By the way, I live not far from the Massachusetts town of Cheshire, and John Leland's First Baptist Church, the one mentioned in the opening paragraph, where in 1802 local farmers presented Jefferson with a 1,235 pound cheese, emblazoned with "REBELLION TO TYRANTS IS OBEDIENCE TO GOD." Coincidentally, I attended my friend's memorial service inside that very same Cheshire First Baptist Church only two weeks ago, and mentioned this book to its present pastor.
Leland, by the way, was considered a "theological forefather" of Jerry Falwell, yet the two couldn't have been more different on the position of separation of religion and government.
"Guard against those men who make a great noise about religion in choosing representatives," Leland wrote.
The alliance of the devoutly religious with Jefferson is a remarkable testimonial to the First Amendment's protection over religious freedoms, and the gift cheese is emblematic of everything hoped for in a new nation's constitution.
The second interesting thing is the research is a hybrid of primary, later, and internet sources. If you don't read the extensive notes pages, you'll be missing out on about one-sixth the content. It's probably starting to become de rigeur, but still interesting that Waldman will list complete web page URLs as his sources. Of course, Waldman is something of his own internet source, being a founder of belief.net.
The major hero of the story is James Madison, who began his adult life as a Congregationalist in New Jersey, but whose eyes were opened when he observed Philadelphia's laissez faire. There he had an epiphany, that government should in no wise stand on any issue even remotely religious, even deciding on such seemingly innocuous matters as Sunday postal closings or Thanksgiving fasts.
Waldman eventually deconstructs contemporary myths that have grown up about our Founding Fathers' "intent," and explores the burning question of our time, whether the U.S. was really established to be a "Christian nation." He even makes an attempt at divining their psyche with respect to modern attributions on these important issues.
One of the pleasant surprises to me was learning how incredibly tolerant and non-partisan George Washington was about religious plurality.
I checked the book out from my local library, but I wouldn't mind owning a personal copy for future reference. I suggest combining this with Susan Jacoby's "Freethinkers"
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