Michael Novak (1) (1933–2017)

"The leaders of the American Revolution were not, like the leaders of the French revolution, secularists. They did not set out to erase religion. Quite the opposite." Michael Novak points out in this brilliant book about the birth of the American idea that the very first act of the Continental Congress in September, 1774, was to pray to Divine Providence for insight on how to respond to news of the British bombardment of Boston. In setting a course for republican self-government, the show more founders not only believed that they were acting reasonably but that they were carrying out God's commandment. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God." Of course there had been religious peoples before in history-including Jews and Christians-who did not see in faith the beacon of civil liberty. Novak points out that the American eagle could not have risen without the empirical turn of mind embodied in John Locke's teaching on the ends of government and the consent of the governed. Yet as he also shows, the founders believed that liberty depended on certain habits of the heart-and that these in turn depended on faith as well as reason. Novak probes the innermost convictions of Washington, Jefferson, Madison and the others who helped the American eagle to take wing. He shows how they were able to find common ground by appealing to the God of the Hebrews. He traces what happened to this "Hebrew metaphysics" as the world of the founders became the world of modernity. In the course of his career, Michael Novak has written several prize-winning books on theology and philosophy. Now, in "On Two Wings," he has written a profound work on American history and on human nature and destiny as well. show less

When you read a biography, it'd be nice to believe that what you read is as factual (and unbiased) as possible. Especially when these biographies are from well-respected authors and historians. But "Washington's God" proves that these experts are as biased as today's "objective" journalists and often as wrong as meteorologists and politicians.

"Washington's God" refutes point-by-point the often alleged idea that Washington was a deist or, at best, a tepid Christian. I felt like authors show more Michael Novak and his daughter Jana did an excellent job refuting what many respected historians claim Washington's beliefs were. At the same time, they clearly admit that rarely one finds "Jesus," "Christ," or "Christian" in any of Washington's public or private writings. But given the context of religion in the late 18th and 19th century, they explain why this might be. For example, prior to this period, most Anglicans (including Washington) went about their religious duties and ceremonies with little pomp. But around the turn of the century, evangelical denominations like Baptists and Methodists became more prevalent in the colonies/US. Also, Washington was acutely aware that he served ALL Americans and worked hard to never insult or impune others' religious beliefs all-the-while never repressing his.

If you want a rather short, well researched book on Washington's beliefs, I think you'll enjoy "Washington's God." show less

I read this book as background reading for a research project that I'm doing on how people discern their vocational calling and how they develop an identity as a called professional. For my research, we are focused specifically on callings that allow people to express their true selves, pursue a unique purpose, use their unique strengths, and meet an important societal need. Novak's book takes a slightly broader perspective on business as a calling. Although he starts by discussing what is show more meant by a calling, he goes on to argue that business and capitalism in general are morally serious callings. He acknowledges that business is often carried out unethically, but he also argues that business is intertwined with three cardinal virtues - creativity, community, and practical realism. He also emphasizes that business has both internal and external responsibilities that underlie the potential for business to make the world a better place. I was hoping for a bit more focus in this book, but once I accepted it as a broad meditation on business as a calling, I enjoyed the societal perspective and thoughtful insights. show less

A ridiculous and simplistic attempt to answer the unanswerable. The book consists of the daughter asking the unanswerable (simplistically) and the father providing ridiculous replies (most of which seem to include at least one totally illogical component). My first impulse was to chuck it out (it was a gift), and my second to at least have it share the telling tag of 'hoowaah' (which graces such books as "Chariots of the Gods?" and "Immortality: The Scientific Evidence"). In the end, I've show more decided to try reading the sucker simply to understand, at least, how pere Novak could ever be awarded the Templeton prize. show less