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horacelamb's review against another edition
4.0
This is a biography written by a Christian historian, Thomas Kidd, with a particular focus on Franklin's engagement with the Christian faith. I think Dr. Kidd does an excellent job with this work, given his specific focus.
Franklin is an interesting figure, even fascinating. He came from a Calvinist home and, like many in his day, knew the Bible quite well. But his "Christianity" seemed to be more about selecting what he liked and discarding what he didn't like. Perhaps he was like Thomas Jefferson in that regard. Franklin approved of the part of Christianity that led to doing good to others, especially the common good. He was not a fan of ministers who seemed more focused on doctrinal teaching rather than exhorting the flock to practical good. And so he did not regularly attend church. His was basically a Christianity without Christ. He was more impressed by Reason than Revelation (Scripture). As such, he seemed to know better than God how one should think and live. As such, his "theology" was actually pretty uninteresting.
Kidd understandably devotes considerable space to the Franklin/ George Whitefield (renowned 18th century evangelist) three-decade relationship. Franklin respected Whitefield for his gifts and his desire to do good. But he couldn't embrace Whitefield's emphasis on the need to have a relationship with God by faith or his emphasis on the inspiration of the Bible. The relationship was very lucrative for Franklin, given all the content and drama Whitefield produced- great for a publisher who knew how to monetize it, which Franklin certainly did. Whitefield and others deeply cared about Franklin's relationship with God, but there's no evidence that Franklin moved beyond what we might call today "moralistic therapeutic deism".
Franklin is an interesting figure, even fascinating. He came from a Calvinist home and, like many in his day, knew the Bible quite well. But his "Christianity" seemed to be more about selecting what he liked and discarding what he didn't like. Perhaps he was like Thomas Jefferson in that regard. Franklin approved of the part of Christianity that led to doing good to others, especially the common good. He was not a fan of ministers who seemed more focused on doctrinal teaching rather than exhorting the flock to practical good. And so he did not regularly attend church. His was basically a Christianity without Christ. He was more impressed by Reason than Revelation (Scripture). As such, he seemed to know better than God how one should think and live. As such, his "theology" was actually pretty uninteresting.
Kidd understandably devotes considerable space to the Franklin/ George Whitefield (renowned 18th century evangelist) three-decade relationship. Franklin respected Whitefield for his gifts and his desire to do good. But he couldn't embrace Whitefield's emphasis on the need to have a relationship with God by faith or his emphasis on the inspiration of the Bible. The relationship was very lucrative for Franklin, given all the content and drama Whitefield produced- great for a publisher who knew how to monetize it, which Franklin certainly did. Whitefield and others deeply cared about Franklin's relationship with God, but there's no evidence that Franklin moved beyond what we might call today "moralistic therapeutic deism".
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