Was George Washington a Christian?

February 16, 2011 by John Fea

Continued from Page 1

In the end, when it comes to the religious beliefs of George Washington, historians, as well as Christians, should tread cautiously. Washington was a soldier and a statesman, not a theologian. He was not, as some have suggested, an evangelical Christian. Those evangelicals that claim him today should realize that Washington would probably not meet the requirements for lay leadership in their own congregations.

The study of Washington's religion reminds us that the past is distant and the historian is often limited in his ability to reconstruct it. There is a lot to celebrate about George Washington: his leadership, his courage, his civility, his morality. But we must show due prudence in celebrating him as a Christian. His religious life is just too ambiguous.

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2/16/2011 5:00:00 AM

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About John Fea

John Fea chairs the History Department at Messiah College in Grantham, PA, and is the author of Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? A Historical Introduction (Westminster John Knox Press, 2011). He blogs daily at philipvickersfithian.com.

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