The University Channel podcast is one of the best around, and this talk by Jon Meacham, author of American Gospel : God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation, is one of the best and most balanced I’ve heard on God and government. I had typed up some excerpts, but lost them when my browser crashed, but just go listen to the guy, he is excellent, and what I’d call middle-right to centrist on this issue.
I have only glanced through his book at the store, but his understanding of many founders’ religious beliefs sounded well thought out. By the way, the link does not seem to work, does this one?
Yeah, I broke them. They should be fixed now. Did you listen to him? I thought he was excellent.
Yes, I did. His idea on the tradition of public recognition of a lowest common denominator deity matches my understanding. I have mostly read John Adams’ writings, so I am less certain about the other founders. Adams certainly believed that there should be a promotion of the overarching moral themes religion can bring while eschewing bigotry, intolerance, and state coercion. He thought all peoples can rely on nature’s God as a cornerstone despite whatever difficulties emerge from following various creeds. Meacham is probably correct when he argues that the founders might not be terribly shocked by our pluralistic society.