National Review carries today a fascinating interview of the authors of Washington’s God, a book that emphasizes our first president’s religiosity.
Personally, I’m skeptical of the new revisionist histories that tend to see our Founding Fathers as a bunch of Enlightenment-loving near-atheists. Some recent historians, when discussing Washington’s religiosity, tend to describe him as a “Deist.” The Novaks take on this claim with the following comment:
Washington’s names for God sometimes sounded deist, but the actions his prayers asked God to perform belong to the biblical God, not the god of the philosophers. Washington believed that God favored the cause of liberty, and should be beseeched to “interpose” his actions on behalf of the Americans- and he often called for public thanksgiving for the many ways in which Americans “experienced” God’s hand in events. He believed God could inspire thoughts and courage in human hearts, and give men fortitude to persevere in extreme difficulties. He held that praying for favors imposed duties on him who prayed.
Washington’s reflections on the workings of Providence were deep, and hardened by the crucible of experience. On these matters, he was a Christian, not a deist.
I’ll probably read Washington’s God, but I must say that Novak’s On Two Wings was extraordinarily difficult to read and clumsily written. I’m hoping for better, clearer and more concise writing in Novak’s new book.