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A review by xandra_lyn
Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth by Mark David Hall
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This was a really interesting book. I was inclined to not agree with it, but the author uses a plethora of primary sources. Seeing the intent of the founders in their own words was helpful to persuading me of Hall's premise: that even if some of the founders were deists, they were still gradually influenced by Christianity.
He did wax somewhat into contemporary politics, like abortion and Trump. This was written in 2019, however seeing how his most recent book's title concerns our Christian nationalism isn't as much of a threat as people think, he probably would not amend those opinions.
For all this later work and opinions (which I have noy read), this book was really helpful in thinking through how the founders viewed religious freedom in a political context.
He did wax somewhat into contemporary politics, like abortion and Trump. This was written in 2019, however seeing how his most recent book's title concerns our Christian nationalism isn't as much of a threat as people think, he probably would not amend those opinions.
For all this later work and opinions (which I have noy read), this book was really helpful in thinking through how the founders viewed religious freedom in a political context.