Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in AmericaThe 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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 95
... Christian America ix 3 Settlers try to plant Protestantism as the official faith- and fail 2. Benjamin Franklin 18 The Puritan New Ager 3. The Evangelical Revolution 27 A cross - eyed preacher fuels the drive for independence and ...
... Christian heritage just as the French revolutionaries had undermined their own . Quot- ing Jefferson's line that he ... Christians . ' It was the brainchild of the Reverend John Leland , a Baptist and , therefore , a theological ...
... Christian nation , " Falwell wrote . If the Founders were devout Christians , then activists can claim their endorsement for their agenda of inserting more religion into the public square . Tim LaHaye , co- author of the blockbuster ...
... Christian realm , and many states did promote Christian- ity even after the nation's founding , but the United States of America was not established as a " Christian nation . " The First Amendment was designed to separate church and ...
Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America Steven Waldman. founding faith 1 christian america SETTLERS TRY TO PLANT PROTESTANTISM AS THE.
Contents
18 | |
John Adams | 33 |
George Washington | 56 |
The pious infidel | 72 |
Natures God Meets the Supreme Judge | 86 |
James Madison | 93 |
A Diabolical Persecution | 100 |
The Mighty Current of Freedom | 107 |
Forgetting the Powerful Friend | 127 |
The First Amendment Compromise | 141 |
They Were Right | 188 |
Index | 209 |
207 | 243 |