The Founders on God and Government

"In God We Trust?" The separation of church and state is a widely contested topic in the American political arena. Whether for or against, debaters frequently base their arguments in the Constitution and the principles of the American founding. However, Americans' perception of the founding has narrowed greatly over the years, focusing on a handful of eminent statesmen.
By exploring the work of nine founding fathers, including often overlooked figures like John Carroll and George Mason, The Founders on God and Government provides a more complete picture of America's origins. The contributors, all noted scholars, examine the lives of individual founders and investigate the relationship between their religious beliefs and political thought. Bringing together original documents and analytical essays, this book is an excellent addition to the library of literature on the founding, and sheds new light on religion's contributions to American civic culture.

Daniel L. Dreisbach is professor of justice, law, and society at American University, and author of Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation Between Church and State.
Mark David Hall is associate professor of political science at George Fox University, and author of The Political and Legal Philosophy of James Wilson, 1742-1798.
Jeffry H. Morrison is currently James Madison Visiting Fellow in the Department of Politics at Princeton University, and associate professor of government at Regent University; he is author of the forthcoming John Witherspoon and the Founding of the American Republic.

Chapter 1 Foreword: Religious Liberty
Chapter 2 Preface
Chapter 3 Religion and The Common Good: George Washington on Church and State
Chapter 4 One Public Religion, Many Private Religions: John Adams and the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution
Chapter 5 The Religious Rhetoric of Thomas Jefferson
Chapter 6 Religion and Politics in the Thought of James Madison
Chapter 7 John Witherspoon's Revolutionary Religion
Chapter 8 Benjamin Franklin and the Role of Religion in Governing Democracy
Chapter 9 James Wilson: Presbyterian, Anglican, Thomist, or Deist? Does it Matter?
Chapter 10 George Mason's Pursuit of Religious Liberty in Revolutionary Virginia
Chapter 11 Catholic Politics and Religious Liberty in America: The Carrolls of Maryland
Chapter 12 Afterword: Revolutionary-Era Americans: Were They Enlightened or Protestant? Does it Matter?
Part 13 Bibliography