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Washington's God: Religion, Liberty, and the Father of Our Country Hardcover – March 6, 2006

by Michael Novak (Author), Jana Novak (Author)

26 customer reviews

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Washington has long been viewed as the patron saint of secular government, but in Washington's God, Michael Novak and his daughter, Jana, reveal that it was Washington's strong faith in divine Providence that gave meaning and force to his monumental life. Narrowly escaping a British trap during the Battle of Brooklyn, Washington didn't credit his survival to courage or tactical expertise; he blamed himself for marching his men into certain doom and marveled at the Providence that delivered them. Throughout his career, Washington held fast to the conviction that America's liberty was dependent on our faithfulness to God's will and our trust in Providence. Washington's God, shows Washington not only as a man of resource, strength, and virtue, but also as a man with deeply held religious values. This new presentation of Washington-as a man whose religion guided his governance-will bring him into today's debates about the role of faith in government and will challenge everything we thought we knew about the inner life of the father of our country.

Washington's God: Religion, Liberty, and the Father of Our Country

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Product Details

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Basic Books; annotated edition edition (March 6, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 046505126X
ISBN-13: 978-0465051267
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,140,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2352 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > United States > US Presidents
- #3611 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Presidents & Heads of State
- #7023 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Religious

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Washington: a typical Churchman of his day

By Walter Mitty on July 1, 2006

Format: Hardcover

First off, let me say that I know the author and count the Novaks as friends of our family. Having said that, I am an actual Anglican, born to the old Episcopal church, baptized, confirmed, and married by the traditional Book of Common Prayer. I mention this because contemporary Episcopalianism has veered far off course from the Anglicanism of Washington's day, while I have made a serious study of just that: the Anglicanism of the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries.

I also state that I am a layman, albeit one with a very keen interest in my Christian heritate. Michael is somewhat hampered in his investigation by his own Roman Catholicism, which of necessity means he comes to Washington not as a coreligionist, and dependent on others for their perspective on the Church of England.

Chrisitanity of the 18th C is not the Christianity of today. Methodism and Evangelicalism as we know them were unheard of and would have been regarded as madness any earlier than they appeared. Until then, Protestants in particular took Christ's admonition to pray in one's closet -- privately -- very seriously. Congregational worship, according to the 1662 edition of hte Book of Common Prayer, left little room for improvisation or personal input. It was formal, elegant, ancient even then, and it was almost unthinkable to fiddle with its carefully considered proscriptions. It necessesarily formed the religous mind of those who worshiped by it in church. In the BCP, the Christian God is often called by "Almighty God", "Father in heaven" and similar Old Testament names. Jesus Christ's name is used, but in specific places in specific prayers, usually only at Holy Communion.

This is to say, the Anglican of old would be aghast to presume too much familiarity with Lord Jesus!Read more ›

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Mixed Review? Look Again

By Jane Porter on April 10, 2006

Format: Hardcover

In quoting the thoughtful review by Al Zambone in Christianity Today, David Vinzant leaves out the favorable parts. Read a sample for yourself:

"The Novaks' central argument, following several chapters recapitulating Washington's life, is based upon Washington's incessant appeals to and observations of the ways of Providence. This is something ignored or dismissed by many biographers, which is foolish; Washington used 'Providence' so often that it can be characterized as one of his three ruling ideas of how the world works or should work (the other two, I believe, are 'West' and 'Union'). His idea of Providence was that it was the intervention of an all-powerful and all-merciful God in the events of mankind. This Providence was often seen as working the near-miraculous, such as in the Continental Army's escape through night and fog from Brooklyn past the British fleet. Washington's 'Providence,' the Novaks convincingly demonstrate, is not impersonal fate; moreover, Washington does not view Providence as always being on his side. While he often describes Providence as benevolent and God as merciful, his favorite description of Providence is 'inscrutable.' Providence is not the leader of America's team; It does what It does, and is not always understood by a humanity that is being done unto. In the face of Providence, Washington is both thankful and resigned. Indeed, Washington's very last words as he died, 'Tis well,' reflect the most important belief of his life."

"For Washington, Providence had a personality. Thus it is difficult, as the Novaks further argue, to describe Washington as a Deist in the classic 18th-century sense.Read more ›

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Was George Washington a Christian?

By Robert C. Rogers on October 1, 2007

Format: Paperback

Was George Washington a deist or a Christian? It is an important question, as Washington was not only the first president but the most respected of all of America's founding fathers.

In their book, "Washington's God," Michael and Jana Novak investigate Washington's public and private life to answer this question. The evidence is mixed:

Toward the view that Washington was a deist: Washington rarely referred to Jesus Christ (although he did write a letter to the Delaware Indians and recommend the religion of Jesus Christ), but instead he preferred the term "Providence," or generic terms like "the Author of our Blessed Religion." Washington regularly refused to take communion at church. When asked point-blank if he believed in Jesus Christ, he would not answer the question. When he died, he did not ask for a minister, and simply said, "'Tis well."

Toward the view that Washington was a Christian: Washington was a member of the Anglican church, which he attended regularly, including overseeing business of his local church. He agreed to be godfather to eight children, something the less religious Thomas Jefferson refused to do. He spoke of "Providence" in Christian terms, not deist terms. A deist believes God is like a watchmaker who makes the world and then is not involved; Washington instead spoke of divine Providence intervening and bringing together the events that led to his victory in the American Revolution. His reluctance to explicitly state his faith in Jesus Christ can be understood as typical for an Anglican who is more reserved about public expressions of faith. Nevertheless, there are reports of him privately praying during the war, and he insisted on having chaplains in the Continental Army.Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

Product exactly as described and shipped on time.

Published 2 months ago by J. Pearce

Four Stars

Well written.

Published 21 months ago by Clara

Brought clarity to what Washington's faith really was

This has been the book I have been looking for. I wanted an honest assessment of what the faith of George Washington really was, not just what some people wanted it to be. Read more

Published on June 13, 2014 by Country Man

Interesting History, but Inconclusive Theory

I got a lot of great information from this book, but the overall theory that George Washington was a deeply religious man was inconclusive. Read more

Published on June 22, 2011 by Holly Jean Johnson

A Godly Man

This book is simply wonderful and provides great info for anyone who wants to learn about the father of our country. Read more

Published on September 20, 2010 by Cory B

The Historical Basis for the Father of Our Coucntry

This book was commisioned to provide a take away item from Mt Vernon for the general interest visitor in order to provide some more insight, but not an in depth book for a... Read more

Published on August 8, 2010 by Eben Sales

Washington's God

Very logical approach to answer what should no longer be considered a legitimate question: Was Washington a Christian? YES!

Published on July 15, 2010 by Thomas W. Sheehan

fascinating and uplifting

This book was perfect for us. I got a lot out of it and would recommend it to friends.

Published on December 24, 2009 by S. Carey

A Solid Scholarly Treatise on the Evidence for What Washington...

Please read the one, two and three star reviews to understand what is going on in the review process: if you write a book in opposition to the leftist belief that the Founding... Read more

Published on May 25, 2009 by David M. Dougherty

Conclusions are a stretch

The authors want to believe so much that Washington was a Christian they stretch a lot of evidence, which weakens the book a great deal. Read more

Published on March 22, 2009 by Liberty and Union