7 Faiths of the Founding Fathers - Perimeter Church

A History of Christianity in America • Part VII: Faiths of the Founding Fathers 4Liberal ChristiansGeorge Washington (1732-99).• The orthodox Washington:• A life-long Episcopalian.• Martha’s devotion.• Washington’s theology.• Promotion of Christianity among his troops.• A devout civil religionist.• Belief in Providence.• Nelly Custis: “His life, his writings, prove that he was aChristian. He was not one of those who act or pray ‘thatthey may be seen of men.’ He communed with his God insecret.”• John Marshall: “Without making ostentatious professionsof religion, he was a sincere believer in the Christian faith,and a truly devout man.”• The non-orthodox Washington:• A most private faith.• Public pronouncements.• Casual church attendance.• An ecumenist.• The communion controversy.• Rev. William White: “Truth requires me to say that General Washington neverreceived the communion in the churches of which I am parochial minister.”• Rev. James Abercrombie’s assessment.• An active Mason.• Thomas Jefferson’s assessment.• James Thomas Flexner: “Washington subscribed to the religious faith of theEnlightenment: like Franklin and Jefferson, he was a deist. Although not believing in[orthodox Christian doctrines], he was convinced that a divine force, impossible todefine, ruled the universe, and that this ‘Providence’ was good.”• Joseph Ellis: Washington was “a lukewarm Episcopalian.”• David L. Holmes: “Like Deists, Washington was more concerned with morality andethics than with adhering to the doctrines of a particular church. He seemed to haveno interest in theology.”• Marcus Cunliff: “It is true that [Washington] was a sound Episcopalian, but hisreligion, though no doubt perfectly sincere, was a social performance.... He was aChristian as a Virginia planter understood the term.”• Mark Noll: Washington’s faith “was mostly a social convention.”• John Fea: Washington was a “latitudinarian” who valued civil religion more thanorthodox Christianity.• Civil religionist.• Washington: “Religion and morality are indispensable” to political stability.• Washington: “National morality cannot prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”• Washington: “It is impossible to rightly govern without God and the Bible.”• Post-script: Washington revisioned and venerated.• Parson Weems’ The Life of George Washington (1800).• Bishop William Meade’s revisionist biography.