George Washington and Religion
Airing on
Probe Radio
Sept. 28-
Oct. 2 |
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Kerby Anderson — What was George Washington’s view of religion and in
particular of Christianity? The historical perspective used to be that
Washington was a Christian and orthodox in most of his beliefs. But the modern
view has been that he was a either a lukewarm Anglican or more likely a Deist.
I want to look at some new research that argues for the
traditional view and against the modern view of George Washington’s religion.
One book is Washington’s God: Religion, Liberty, and the Father of our
Country. It is written by Michael Novak (American Enterprise Institute
and winner of the Templeton Award) and Jana Novak. Another book, written by
Peter Lillback with Jerry Newcombe, is George Washington’s Sacred Fire.
George Washington was born into a Virginia family of
moderate wealth and was exposed to various religious activities: lessons in
religion, regular prayer, Sunday school attendance, and reverence for God. His
mother had a daily ritual of retiring with a book of religious readings.
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| MEET THE AUTHOR |
 KERBY ANDERSON
"We are losing the Christian heritage of our nation. A good example of this is how historians view George Washington. Until the twentieth century, nearly every book written about Washington described him as a Christian. So I was excited to see that some new books (by Michael Novak and Peter Lillback) put George Washington’s religious commitment where it deserves to be."
Kerby is National Director of Probe Ministries. He holds masters degrees from Yale and Georgetown Universities. He is the author of several books and the host of "Point of View" (USA Radio Network) in addition to being the most frequest contributor to the Probe radio program. Kerby also produces a daily syndicated radio and web commentary.
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Related Articles:
On Two Wings
Michael Novak's book On Two Wings documents the Judeo-Christian
foundations of this country and disputes the teaching that the American Founders were secular
Enlightenment rationalists. Instead, he persuasively argues that they were the creators of a
unique American blend of biblical faith, practical reason, and human liberty.
 Deism and America's Founders
The views and beliefs of our country's founders were as diverse and complicated as today. Don Closson's article focuses on the role of deism.
The Declaration and Constitution: Their Christian Roots
Kerby's article provides an overview of the structure of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It documents the sources of these documents and provides an overview of their Christian roots.
Probe Answers Your Questions:
"What Are Some Examples of Historical Revisionism?"
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