Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty

Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty - Paperback

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Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty
  • Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty
Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty - Paperback

Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty - Paperback

by Steven Waldman
$21.00
$21.00

Book Overview

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 First Amendment was designed to boldly separate church and state. Neither of these claims is 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.

Founding Faith vividly describes the religious development of five Founders. Benjamin Franklin melded the Puritan theology of his youth and the Enlightenment philosophy of his adulthood. John Adams's pungent views on religion 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 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 at last sets the record straight, revealing the real history of religious freedom to be dramatic, unexpected, paradoxical, and inspiring.

ISBN9780812974744
Author Steven Waldman
PublisherRandom House Group
GenreReligion & spirituality and History
FormatPaperback
PublishedMarch 2009
LanguageENG- English
Pages304
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

History Nonfiction

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More by Steven Waldman

Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty

Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty - Paperback

Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty - Paperback

By Steven Waldman

About Steven Waldman

Steven Waldman is co-founder, CEO, and editor in chief of Beliefnet.com, the largest faith and spirituality website. Previously, Waldman was the national editor of U.S. News & World Report and a national correspondent for Newsweek. His writings have also appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Slate, The Washington Monthly, National Review, and elsewhere. He appears frequently on television and radio to discuss religion and politics. He is also the author of The Bill, a book about the creation of AmeriCorps. Waldman lives in New York with his wife, the writer Amy Cunningham, and their children, Joseph and Gordon.

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