More on Steven Waldman, Founding Faith

PAUL HARVEY

John Fea gave our blog an extensive and thoughtful review of STeven Waldman's Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America here (or just scroll down).

Terry Gross's interview on Fresh Air with Waldman is linked here. An introductory blurb:

Fresh Air from WHYY, March 11, 2008 · Was America meant to be a Christian nation? Author Steven Waldman attempts to answer this and other questions related to America's religious history in his new book, Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America.

Waldman is the co-founder of
Beliefnet.com, a website devoted to spirituality and faith issues. In tandem with his book, Beliefnet has opened an online archive of historical documents related to the separation of church and state, and religious freedom in America.

There's also a short excerpt from the volume linked to the Fresh Air site.

Comments

Gary Kowalski said…
For a different view of the founders by a Harvard trained historian, check out "Revolutionary Spirits: The Enlightened Faith of America's Founding Fatherings" (BlueBridge 2008). It differs from Waldman's account by placing men like Franklin, Washington, Paine, Adams, Jefferson and Madison in the context of the scientific revolutions occurring in the 18th century; their spirituality was deeply influenced by the discoveries of deep space and deep time, which were stretching traditional notions of divinity in strange, unexpected directions. For an interview with the author on Vermont Public Radio, visit http://www.vpr.net/episode/43005/

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