Forgotten Features of the Founding: The Recovery of Religious Themes in the Early American Republic is a book of six original essays that explore the deep significance of previously neglected religious themes in the Founding Era. Author James Hutson argues convincingly that without understanding these themes, it is impossible to comprehend the religious mentality of the Founding Era. Among the themes elucidated and explored are the doctrine of the future state of rewards and punishments, the civil magistrate's idealized role as the nursing father, and the conception of rights as moral powers grounded in religion. Hutson's thought-provoking and exhaustively researched essays challenge current scholarship on the Founding Era, which often downplays the importance of Christian ideals in the formation of the American government. Forgotten Features of the Founding is a must read for scholars of American history and those interested in the role of religion in American life.

"The essays on William Penn, James Madison, and the Founders' reading of French authors are particularly noteworthy, and Hutson's take on the use and misuse of the idea of America as a Christian nation deserves wide circulation. An important collection on an important topic." - The Standard Reader

"Forgotten Features of the Founding confirms that the author is among the most astute students of religion in early American political and legal culture. Few scholars writing today are more familiar with, or make better use of, the primary documents of the founding era than James Hutson. Drawing on his vast knowledge of both primary sources and the most current scholarship, he offers new insights into old controversies and challenges readers to reconsider long held assumptions. . . . These original, provocative, and learned essays are a valuable addition to the literature on the diverse influences that shaped the American founding. This perceptive work is highly recommended for specialist and nonspecialist readers alike." - Journal of Church and State