"Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?" - Can't wait for this book!

Advance praise for John Fea's book, due out this February:

In his latest book, Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?: A Historical Introduction, John Fea confronts the culture wars head-on. With polemicists on all sides wanting to claim the Founding Fathers (and founding era) for themselves, the blogosphere and talk radio are filled with a contentious “he said; she said” back-and-forth, leaving thoughtful listeners more confused than ever. For that befuddled person, Fea offers help. He challenges his readers to think like historians, and presents them with the facts they need to weigh the evidence for themselves. He does an excellent job of both explaining the complexity of the issues and putting them into context. Particularly enlightening are case studies of the religious beliefs and practices of seven founding fathers—three undoubtedly devout and orthodox in their faith, while the other four are questionable in regard to one and/or the other. Fea’s suggestions for further reading will be especially useful for readers who want to delve even deeper into the topic. Those who are ready to move past simplistic answers will be well-served by this thought-provoking work.

-Mary V. Thompson, Research Historian at George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, and author of In the Hands of a Good Providence: Religion in the Life of George Washington (University of Virginia Press, 2008).

Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?: A Historical Introduction will be available in February with Westminster/John Knox Press.