THE Faiths of Our Fathers; What America's Founders Really Believed
by Alf J. Mapp Jr.
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"In Faiths of Our Fathers, acclaimed historian Alf J. Mapp, Jr., cuts through the historical uncertainty to accurately portray the religious beliefs of eleven of America's Founding Fathers, including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. He discovers men with religious beliefs as diverse as their political opinions. These profiles shed light on not only the lives and times if the revolutionary generation but also the role of religion in public life throughout show more American history."--Jacket. show lessTags
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The Founders often get pulled into all sides of current debates and none more so than faith. One side says that they are all a pack of church-hating Diests who would exile all Christians if they could. The other claims they were all Bible-thumping zealots who would create a theocracy if they could. The answer, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. Mapp has done some wonderful research and makes some intriguing points. Jefferson hated priests, yes, thought Christ was a mere man, yes, but he also believed in some sort of afterlife. Diest, not really, Christian, not really - actually something in between. This is just an example, but a good one. Mapp talks about some well-known Founders and the less-known ones like Mason, Carroll, and show more Salomon. An excellent work that takes the middle road. show less
I picked up this book as an impulse buy Noble from the “Books for Grads” table as I was checking out of Barnes & Noble last month. The fact that Mapp has done the research from original writings for each of the founders he discusses, and bases his conclusions on this information made the book a worthwhile read for me. I have read a least one biography on most of the founders he discusses; several on some of them. It is my opinion that his conclusions are right on target. And, it is an easy read, also a plus.
Alf J. Mapp, Jr., The Faiths of Our Fathers: What America’s Founders Really Believed explained the eleven framers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were products of different classes, and background in the colonies. Their ideas reflected diverse learning, and religious beliefs resulting in success. Our Fathers were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, John Adams, George Washington, John Marshall, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton, George Mason, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and Haym Solomon.
All of our Founding Fathers were Christians, and they built this country on Christian principals. Everybody knows this... but everybody knows George Washington chopped down the Cherry Tree as well, don't they?
It will give you something to think about.
It will give you something to think about.
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Author Information
11 Works 839 Members
Alf J. Mapp Jr., author of Thomas Jefferson: A Strange Case of Mistaken identity and Thomas Jefferson: Passionate Pilgrim, held the endowed rank of eminent scholar at Old Dominion University.
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2003
- People/Characters
- Thomas Jefferson; Benjamin Franklin; James Madison; John Adams; George Washington; John Marshall (4th Chief Justice of the United States) (show all 11); Patrick Henry; Alexander Hamilton; George Mason; Charles Carroll of Carrollton; Haym Salomon
- Important places
- USA
- First words
- Perhaps it should not be surprising that a time such as ours, with markedly increased interest in America's Founding Fathers and in religion, has spawned many questions about the religion of the nation's early patriots.
- Quotations
- Our civil rights...have no dependence on our religious opinions in physics and geometry...The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to sa... (show all)y there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. (Thomas Jefferson)
His opposition to slavery manifested in his repeated efforts to eliminate both the importation fo slaves and slavery itself in his native state, to censure the institution in the Declaration of Independence, and to arrest its... (show all) spread into future states--all of these were driven by a passion beyond the cool dictates of Enlightenment philosophy. (Thomas Jefferson) - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And though we well know that this assembly elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding assemblies, constituted with powers equal to our own, and that heretofore to declare this act to be irrevocable would be of no effect in law; yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act shall be an infringement of natural right.
- Blurbers
- Nagel, Paul C.; Thompson, Kenneth W.; Newman, Wilson
- Disambiguation notice
- tj= Deist Scottish Enlightenment
BF = Pluralist
JM, Father of the Constitution - Deist
JA = Calvinist
GW = Deist
JM - Unitarian
PH -
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 270.7 — Religion History of Christianity History, geographic treatment, biography of Christianity Peace of Westphalia to French revolution (1648-1789)
- LCC
- E302.5 .M26 — History of the United States United States Revolution to the Civil War, 1775/1783-1861 Biography (Late eighteenth century)
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 350
- Popularity
- 89,820
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.68)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
