Did America have a Christian Founding?

The main question driving this series, “Did America have a Christian Founding?” has serious assumptions and implications tied to it. Many Christians are quick to say “of course it does”, while many secular historians and laypeople alike are just as quick to respond with a resounding “no”. This question assumes that we all agree on a few certain terms mainly “Christian” and “Founding”. With regards to Christianity do we mean that America was forged by Christian principles or that the founders identified as Christians? In relation to our founding, time would be a necessary component to consider. Would we consider the Puritan colonization, the American Revolution era, or the Constitution era as our founding? Hidden within these questions are basic assumptions that modern Christians and non Christians alike have harbored and only the truth will reveal a general observation in response to this question. 

We start with the founding fathers. These men have been seen as godly, Christian men by Christians and simply as deists at best by non-Christians. The issue is we cannot simply categorize the founders into one group or the other. They were all individuals with different backgrounds and beliefs and often those convictions changed over the course of their life. So to tackle this issue we are going to examine a few founders who might help answer our question. We are going to examine Christian identities, actions, words, and principles within the lives of the founders chosen for this study. Given the evidence limitations, we are only going to use speeches or letters accepted by history 

George Washington

George Washington, an Anglican (Episcopalian) and virtuous founding father was very reserved when it came to religious beliefs and doctrine. He encouraged faith in Providence, but he spoke little of personal doctrinal beliefs in public speeches or even private letters. In official proclamations and letters he regularly invoked “Almighty God” and often spoke of a cosmic sovereign force he referred to as “Providence.”  For example, his 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation began “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits…” , calling Americans to thank “the great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be…” . This clearly indicates he believed in a Christian version of God and believed he should be acknowledged, obeyed, and praised for what he has done. Washington believed God gave them blessings and that He should be recognized as the source of all good will.  He also touted religious liberty – in his 1790 letter to the Newport synagogue he declared to the Hebrew congregation that the U.S. “government…gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance”, insisting citizens be left free “to exercise their inherent natural rights.” Washington attended church regularly and supported chaplains, days of fasting and thanksgiving. He saw religion as important to public virtue, but he avoided declaring specific Christian doctrines. He never publicly embraced, say, Christ’s divinity or salvation by faith, and historians note that Washington rarely cited Scripture or discussed theological details.  Overall, he aligned with a general Christian theism (belief in a just God and moral order) but showed little interest in theological disputes, emphasizing tolerance and civic freedom of religious beliefs.  

Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry was raised Anglican and was more public about his beliefs than Washington, For example, in his famous revolutionary speech in 1775 concluded with “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” , admitting he at least believed in a Christian God by using the phrase “Almighty God”. Henry certainly identified as a Christian as he is recorded saying, “being a Christian… above all this world has or can boast” . He believed in the “religion of Christ” and that it could enrich families morally . Henry urged unity among believers, writing in 1776 that “Christian charity, forbearance, and love” should “unite all our different persuasions as brethren” . Patrick Henry had the same views as passages like Colossians 3:14 and Psalm 133:1 which declare that love is the force that unites us. He saw morality, virtue and religion as the “great pillars of all government” . Unlike Jefferson or Franklin, Henry spoke as a convinced Christian: he publicly endorsed prayer and Scripture, and in his will he commended his soul “into the hands of Almighty God” to be buried in “a decent and Christian-like manner” . He opposed an established Anglican church but advocated religious freedom. Henry was a professed Christian and was not afraid to speak of God or about Jesus and he was certainly influenced by many Christian beliefs. The following quote is attributed to Henry but no historical documentation can be found as evidence of him saying or writing it: 

“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”

John Adams 

John Adams was raised in a New England Congregationalist household but later adopted a liberal (Unitarian) faith. This means he did not believe in such teachings as the Trinity but still believed in God as a force in the cosmos rather than a deity. He also probably did not believe in Jesus’ divinity if he shared Unitarian beliefs as he says, “The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.” He strongly affirmed Divine Providence and Christian morality, often linking religion to public virtue. This we know because Adams wrote to Jefferson about the Bible and morality, “The Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy that ever was conceived upon earth. It is the most Republican Book in the world; and therefore I will still revere it.” He clearly views the Bible as wisdom literature but doesn’t note it being God’s Word like Christians view it. In 1798 he famously warned that “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” By saying this, he didn’t quite mean that America was founded on Christianity but rather that those who have a religious background would understand the means and purpose of the Constitution’s existence and the freedoms it protects. Moral and religious people would have a sense of self-governance under the Constitution’s authority and thus experience freedom. Without religion or a gauge or morality, Adams viewed that the Constitution would fail and the freedom abused. Adams cited Providence routinely (“Sovereign of the Universe,” etc.), but he viewed faith largely as a foundation for civic morality rather than adherence to specific Scripture and beliefs. Thus he aligned with Christian moral teachings on issues like virtue and social order, but he diverged sharply on theological points like the Trinity, Christ’s atonement, or sin and thus did not align with Christianity.

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s views can be quite complex to decipher depending on the time in his life one is analyzing. He grew up as an Anglican and visited many denominations throughout his life. In a letter to John Adams in 1823 he wrote, “the God whom you and I acknowledge and adore” . Jefferson at least seemed to acknowledge the existence of a God throughout his life. Jefferson also viewed Jesus as a great moral teacher but never affirmed his divinity as Son of God . In this same letter, he calls himself an Epicurean which meant he believed in a rational and ethical view of life which is why he obliged to the teachings of Jesus. Much can be said about what is commonly known as the Jefferson Bible, 

Early in his presidency, Jefferson reexamined his own beliefs and expressed a renewed interest in Christianity…The next year, Jefferson decided to comb through the Gospels and extract what he believed to be the real teachings of Jesus, devoid of perversions which had been made by church leaders over the centuries…This short compilation is generally referred to as the “Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth” or the “Extracts.” Finally, in retirement, Jefferson set out to rework the “Philosophy” by taking four copies of the Gospels – in English, French, Latin, and Greek – and literally cutting-out with a razor those parts that he thought to be the legitimate teachings of Jesus, devoid of miracles and the resurrection. This work, entitled by Jefferson “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth,” is commonly referred to as the “Jefferson Bible.”

In summary, Jefferson identified as a Christian but deviated from the traditional understanding of what a Christian believed in at that time. He believed in Jesus and God but rejected foundational doctrines such as the Trinity, Jesus’ miracles or the belief the Bible is without error.