leondumoulin.nl: American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation (Audible Audio Edition): Jon Meacham, Grover Gardner, Random.
Table of contents
I think it is fairly safe to say that Richard Nixon, despite his Quaker mother's best efforts, is a strong candidate for that label, though the historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. We know that Raleigh, in Virginia, and Gov. Winthrop, in Massachusetts Bay Colony, predated the Revolutionary Founding Fathers as earlier "fathers" for the nation. Unlike Virginia, Winthrop's Colony began as a Bible Commonwealth, seeking to be ruled by one law book. During that "founding" father's rule as Governor, there were 24 capital crimes - all emerging from the Bible - not from statutes enacted by a colonial legislature.
They knew the benefits as well as the drawbacks. Does it help American readers learn that, in contrast to Virginia's pursuit of commerce, early seventeenth century Mass.
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Yes, the book does indeed tell the story of Winthrop, Williams, and Hutchinson, and I make the point that Virginia was, early on, seemingly more about Mammon than about God. But the New England experience is a very mixed one, it seems to me: Massachusetts Bay was indeed theocratic, and the experiment in building a "Christian Commonwealth" was not a happy oneas the founding of Rhode Island, as well as the creation of Maryland and Pennsylvania, can attest. At her best, America is about the search for liberty, not for religious certitude, or certitude of any kind for that matter. History teaches us that faith and reason and experience are all essential elements in conducting human affairs peaceably and well.
I think Billy Graham is an intriguing and critical figure in what I call, quoting Benjamin Franklin, America's "public religion. When he was captured on the Nixon tapes making anti-Semitic remarks, Graham apologized, and said I am paraphrasing that his whole life had been a pilgrimage, a process of learning and growing and changing and coming to see the human-rights implications of his gospel message.
In other words, as he has grown older he is now 87 he has become more humble, and after Nixon, Graham moved farther away from partisan politics, which I think only increased his effectiveness as a pastor. In my opinion a return to school prayer can't be enforced by government or laws or even rules in a school. It's when children and their parents understand that anytime is a good time to pray and they don't need a rule or a "official time" to do it.
And that comes from Faith; not rules. You are asking a very complex, and ultimately unanswerable, question.
For only God, in Christian terms, knows the secrets of all hearts. But Jefferson and Franklin were clearly heavily influenced by Deism, though Jefferson was a moving target in religious terms.
American Gospel
Adams was a fairly orthodox churchgoer, though he said he hated "polemical politics and polemical divinity. A ferocious advocate of religious liberty, he was intensely private about his own particular beliefs. It seems that the Founders were part of a more aristocratic age, where it was acceptable for educated men to scoff at orthodox Christianity, but where they would still accept that it was good for the masses especially women to be religious.
Washington, Jefferson and Franklin seem very detached from the bible-thumping world of backcountry evangelicals. I suspect they liked it that way. You make interesting points. Remember, these men were willing to die for the rights of "bible-thumping Bush stood were most certainly not "burgundy. I stand corrected and humbled. My only excuse is that I am a Tennessean, and Texas still owes us a great debt for our early and enthusiastic support, so perhaps we can call this one even.
I'm one of those troubled by the "persistence of a public religion," as Pauline Maier noted in the review of your book. You correctly note that the public religion concept does not constitute government endorsement of one faith, and I applaud you for that. Still, I think there is a danger in discussing patriotic spirit and religious faith as though they are generally the same thing, which is what "one nation under God" does. I think the concept implies that one has to believe in the Judeo-Christian God to be an American, that each of us has to justify our innermost beliefs to our fellow Americans.
It wasn't so long ago that Catholics and Jews in America had their patriotism questioned simply because of their religious beliefs. Thank you for the question.
I don't believe that "patriotic spirit and religious faith The point of my book is quite the opposite: Without freedom there is no faith, but without faith there is still full and unqualified freedom. I do think religion is important to many people and that religion has been important in the founding era and beyond, but the fact that religion has been and is important to many does not mean all have to believe or that any should be made to feel uncomfortable by voluntary professions of faith.
George Washington had it exactly right in , when he wrote that every man should sit under his own vine and fig tree, "and none shall make him afraid. Hello, I'm Jon Meacham, and I'm looking forward to taking your questions.
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- American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation by Jon Meacham.
- God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation.
I really enjoy your work. Who do you think was the least religious of modern presidents? Meacham, We know that Raleigh, in Virginia, and Gov. Meacham, what is the legacy of Billy Graham in your opinion? Amen to that, so to speak. Thank you all very much. America's Best on the Civil Rights Movement. The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies. Sponsored products related to this item What's this? Killing the Deep State: The Fight to Save President Trump. Jerome Corsi uncovers the secret conspiracy to destroy the Trump presidency and what Trump must do now to prevail.
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There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. A well researched essay on the origins and use of religion in America. This study presents a clear case for religion in American government and life, not an adherence to any particular brand of faith, but a "public religion" that recognizes the hugely common belief in a devine providence that created us and our universe and presides in some form over our lives.
If you are troubled by all the public discord today in about religion in America, then this book will set your mind and thinking on the right path. As always, Meacham is thoughtful, temperate, polite, and very readable. Was our country founded as a Christian nation, combination Christian and other faiths, or no faith?
The American Gospel delves into that question. Normally when this question is asked, there are biased views to the "it was Christian or it was not". I reject those positions because the proof shown for each side cherry picks alleged statements, documents, diaries, etc. The American Gospel does in-depth research and finds there is some of both. The research is very profound and provides sources that Jon does not cherry pick. Read what the Founding Fathers had to say Jon Meachum has been a favorite of mine.
He is a journalist by profession and by design. He really does want to know what the truth is. What a novel idea! He explores the issue not by proof texting which is popular today but by stringing together numerous data and situations so u can make your own decision. He lets the FFs define "public religion" in their own words. He also explores beyond the FFs and traces the thoughts and writings from most of the presidents of the US. If u are interested in the words and not just being told what they mean The extraordinary vision of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin in particular and their thoughtful focus on creating a society that was open and inclusive stands in stark contrast to the isolationist, fear driven, self serving leadership of so many of 21st century American politicians of both major Parties.
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And in doing so reveals the depth of their commitment to a new social and political order founded on the principles of freedom for ALL irrespective of race, religion, or wealth. The writing is straightforward and easy to follow. One person found this helpful. The best chapters deal with the writing of the Declaration of Independence by the brilliant Thomas Jefferson through the issuance of the US Constitution to the Emancipation Proclamation, the fight for women and African Americans and the low wall separating church and state.
America is not a Christian nation tied to one particular denomination but a pluralistic freedom of religion republic where all faiths may flourish and worship God in their own way. Jon Meacham is a gifted historian and lay theologian teaching at Vanderbilt University. As a longtime Presbyterian minister I love this book published in With all of our nation's challenges and inequalities still existing we should thank God that we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
In this testing time this book is relevant filled with important insights to guide our nation in the future. Excellent and well recommended! See all reviews. Most recent customer reviews. Published 5 days ago.