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Whistle Stopper - Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America
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List Price: $26.00
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Manufacturer: Random House
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 323.442097309033
EAN: 9781400064373
ISBN: 1400064376
Label: Random House
Manufacturer: Random House
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: 2008-03-11
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: 2008-03-11
Studio: Random House
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: A very reasoned look at a controversial subject
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview
Comment: Highly useful book on the religion of the Founding Fathers, and their intent concerning religious freedom and the separation of church and state. Founding Faith is a fair and balanced book, puncturing liberal and conservative myths about the topic with equal cheer, and more importantly, placing the discussion squarely within the historical context of what the Founders were doing and what it was possible for them to accomplish.
So were the colonies Christian? Yes, of course, and more, predominantly Protestant with considerable anti-Catholic bias. Most colonies did have an established church, mostly Anglican or Congregationalist, yet, after the revivalism of the Great Awakening period in the mid-1700s, the colonies were more religiously diverse than ever. The fear that the British Crown would force all the colonists to be Anglican was a factor in the Revolution.
Some of the factors leading the young nation into religious tolerance were pragmatic. George Washington, for example, was trying to forge a unified fighting force out of a religiously diverse group of soldiers. He had to quell the level of anti-Catholicism because he was trying to persuade the French Catholics in Canada to join in the Revolution.
Were the Founders Deists? No, they weren't, as even Jefferson and Franklin acknowledged the hand of Providence in the affairs of men. But neither were the five Founding Fathers that Waldman profiles orthodox Christians. Franklin flirted with a variety of religions, including Deism (the philosophy that God created the Universe like a watchmaker creates a watch, and then retreated from participation in his creation), but he also was was interested in the Great Awakening and thought the influence of Christianity upon the morals of people was a good one. Adams was more likely than the others to support government involvement in religion, but he moved more towards Unitarianism the older he got and rejected much of orthodox Christianity, thinking that the much that was good in it had been corrupted, but that its founding principles were still the best. Jefferson was similar but more so. Like Adams, he despised the influence of clerics throughout history. He rejected the divinity of Jesus and the miracles, but was so enthralled by the moral teachings of Jesus he twice cut apart Bibles and pasted the parts he thought uncorrupt into new documents and apparently read them often. Washington was the most silent about religion, rarely attended church, yet often used the religious rhetoric of his day. He did, though, speak of religious equality (for Jews specifically) . Most important of all was James Madison, who was the primary writer of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Madison did not leave behind a clear record of his religious views, but from what there is, he seems to have been more orthodox than the others. He was, however, of all of them, the most devoted to the idea of religious toleration. One of the factors that shaped this was his knowledge of the Baptist preachers in Virginia who were often jailed and beaten, and who had to go through lots of hoops to even be able to perform marriages. Madison believed that religious support for one church over others was BAD FOR RELIGION, as well as the state, that it oppressed some religions while making the dominant one lazy. He also thought it a weak faith than needed government support, as well as believing it was bad to force anyone to profess and be taxed to support a religion in which they did not believe. The original language of what is now the First Amendment refers to the "rights of conscience", an even broader formulation than what is in the current amendment.
One of the important historical points that Waldman made is that Madison was a politician, who had to be able to get the votes of other Congressmen to get the Bill of Rights passed. Madison did not get everything he wanted, and what was passed enabled those who wanted some religion in politics to interpret the result their way, as well as those who wanted a strict separation to interpret it their way. Most importantly, Madison did not get a law that applied the Bill of Rights to the states. This meant, for example, that states were perfectly free to establish churches, which most did, though they gradually disappeared during the first half of the nineteenth century. It wasn't until the 14th Amendment was passed after the Civil War that the Bill of Rights did apply to the states.
Waldman's most important point, perhaps, is that many religious people did then and do now support religious toleration. "He [Madison] and his Baptist allies would be mystified by the assumption that being pro-separation means being anti-God." (p. 201). It seems no coincidence that the United Sates is one of the most religiously free, religiously diverse, and religiously flourishing nations on earth.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Beyond Propaganda.
Comment: I approach this book from a rather different point of view than some other reviewers. I'm a Christian apologist. My most recent book, The Truth Behind the New Atheism, attempted to refute Richard Dawkins and allies. One of the chapters of that book, "What About the American Taliban?" tackled the allegation that conservative Christians are a threat to democracy. Despite Chris Rodda's claim below that "historical misconceptions and misquotes used by the 'secularists' can be counted on one hand," counting dubious claims by that great scholar of American history, Richard Dawkins, alone might wear out the toes on a centipede. And an ACLU poster glibly suggests that the Constitution built a "wall of separation" between church and state -- which as Waldmon shows, is at least an exageration, if not a fantasy.
On the other hand, I'm also leery of books like "Sea to Shining Sea," and the gross exagerations Christians are also sometimes guilty of.
Steven Waldman does a good job of going beyond propaganda for either side. While honest and pretty balanced, he is also passionate, engaged, and not afraid to write well, or to add interesting asides. He concentrates on five figures: Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison, and tells their stories fairly. He weaves these stories in with a general history of how the new American idea of church and state evolved. He doesn't try to pin a halo on anyone's head, but he clearly respects these men, and explains why he thinks their solution was best. The book is to the point, pithy, and readable -- I zipped through it in two or three days.
The question that often came to mind, while reading, was "Why didn't Christians get this earlier?" Sociologist of religion Rodney Stark makes a strong case for a market view of religious organizations -- any "church," whatever it's ideology, will oppress, just as Ma Bell will give bad service, given a monopoly. Jesus seemed to understand that from the get-go. And some Christians -- Francis Bacon, John Locke, Edmund Burke -- figured it out again, over time. But as Waldman shows, sometimes we Christians have to learn the implications of our own faith from those who, like Franklin, Adams, Madison, and Jefferson, have in some sense already left the faith, or like Gandhi, who never claimed it. Sometimes we have to be hit over the head with oppression to see what is in front of our eyes.
In The Truth Behind the New Atheism: Responding to the Emerging Challenges to God and Christianity, I made the case that the Gospel has blessed the world in many ways. One doesn't get that much of that here: Christians can be, as Chesterton put it, the best argument against Christianity as well as the best argument for it. But after reading the book, I'm inclined to agree with the principals that Providence was working through its chosen instruments over the course of the American revolution. I'm also inclined towards a stricter view of separation, not on legal grounds -- as Waldon shows, those are fairly muddled -- but because to paraphrase Madison, with friends like Big Government, who needs enemies?
An important part of the truth.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Religion doesn't belong under a burkha.
Comment: "Founding Faith" is a tongue in cheek offering of a balanced view of Christianity vs secularization of American history. If one accepts the author's reasonable premise that a wall was placed between religion and the federal government, one must yet account for the isolation of religion from the marketplace of ideas by intrusion of this wall between local governments and religion.
During The Sixties, federal monies starting coming into the education system dictating content that caused test scores and morality to plummet.
Unfortunately, this is pop history reacting to and fitting in well with current viewpoints. No positive contribution has been made here.
Christ founded America's ideology beginning not only with the culmination of a constitution, but with those seeking to follow god's instead of man's dictates. Just because it took a while to work out the kinks in the systems inherited from thousands of years of error doesnt' mean that the system of liberty of conscience we take for granted didn't come at real cost and dedication, and that Christianity doesn't deserve credit for sponsoring the only system that developed strength and liberty.
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Summary: Excellent Overview of Religious Liberty in America
Comment: "Founding Faith" makes an excellent contribution to our understanding of the origins and development of religious liberty in the United States. Nevertheless, I believe that Mr. Waldman places too much emphasis on the views and writings of just a handful of individuals, especially James Madison. His affection for Madison is palpable, but the truth of the matter is--a reality that Waldman grudgingly concedes--that Madison had to compromise his principles in order to secure adoption of what, for him, was a watered-down First Amendment.
Waldman also exaggerates the extent to which the views of Jefferson and Madison regarding the separation of church and state subsequently prevailed in this country. He applauds President Madison for abandoning his predecessors' practice of periodically calling for a national day of prayer and fasting, suggesting that Madison had seen the wisdom of not using his high office to encourage religious practices. But Mr. Waldman fails to note that Abraham Lincoln on no fewer than three occasions called for national days of fasting, humiliation and prayer. Lincoln, like Washington, believed that the country could not survive the current crisis without divine assistance and a willingness on the part of the citizenry to acknowledge and correct their misdeeds. No one at the time suggested that Lincoln had inappropriately breached the "wall" separating church from state, nor should they today.
In addition, Waldman, in his final chapter openly acknowledges the extent to which government and religion overlap and offer each other mutual support. Government pays for chaplains in the military, references God on its currency, and commences its legislative sessions with a word of prayer (though, given Congress' recent performance, I'm not sure the Almighty has been listening). The federal treasury also provides tremendous financial subsidies to churches: they don't pay taxes and all tithes and donations are fully deductible by church members--deductions that reduce the tax revenue the government ultimately receives. Although such an arrangement unquestionably constitutes government support of religion, it is one that redounds to the benefit of both parties. Because of these tax breaks, the Catholic Relief Services has the resources it needs to provide services to needy individuals who would otherwise be seeking assistance from the government. And just ask the folks in New Orleans who did a better job of providing emergency aid after Hurricane Katrina: FEMA or the tax-exempt Mormon Church?
Yes, as Mr. Waldman notes, we should not be wasting our time over matters such as prayers in public schools, but, by the same token, we should not deny that the "wall" that separates church and state has a lot of doors in it--doors that swing both ways to the benefit of all.
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Editorial Reviews:
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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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