Throughout our nation's history, the religious beliefs of America's founders have been contested and misunderstood. Did our founders advocate Christianity or atheism? In The Faiths of Our Fathers, widely acclaimed historian Alf J. Mapp, Jr. cuts through the historical uncertainty to accurately portray the religious beliefs of eleven of America's founding fathers, including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. He discovers men with religious beliefs as diverse as their political opinions. These profiles shed light on not only the lives and times of the revolutionary generation but also the role of religion in public life throughout American history.

"An accessible, well-researched collection of short essays on the Founders that is as informative as it is a delight to read. The Faiths of Our Fathers is a much-needed corrective to many current misconceptions about the role of faith in the lives of the Founders. It is of high value to the student as well as the lay reader." - The Virginian-Pilot

"Mapp provides a highly readable overview of the religious beliefs of the generation that declared independence and wrote the U.S. Constitution in the 1770s and 1780s . . . good writing, careful research, and great common sense. Recommended." - CHOICE

"In eleven biographical essays, Professor Mapp paints rich portraits of the lives of the most famous founders and several of the not-so-famous founders. These engaging profiles explore how religion informed the values, political philosophies, and public deeds of these men. The reader gains from these portraits an intimate acquaintance with the subjects and the times in which they lived. The essays are lively and, at times, witty. This volume will be of value to specialists and nonspecialist readers with general interests in the American founding, especially in the role of religion in forming the American Republic and its institutions." - Journal of Church and State