In God We Trust

Was America founded as a Christian nation--or is the truth far more complex?

In God We Trust invites readers to think and reflect critically about the truths and complexities of the role of religion and the founding of America in order to separate history from political ideology and to understand why this distinction matters for the future of our nation and democracy.

Both supporters of Christian nationalism and those who oppose it often pick and choose pieces of American history to support their own political and cultural views. Some supporters of Christian nationalism promote the idea that God and country are inseparable by claiming that the founders were devout evangelical Christians, that the nation's founding documents were explicitly Christian, or that the separation of church and state is a modern invention. Meanwhile, critics of Christian nationalism sometimes come to the opposite conclusion, assuming that because the Constitution does not mention God and because the First Amendment separates church and state, the founders believed religion had little or no role in the success of the new Republic.

With clarity and balance, history professor John Fea challenges popular myths on all sides--showing why claims that the founders were devout evangelicals, that America was explicitly founded as a uniquely Christian nation, or that religion played no role in the original vision of the Republic all miss the mark. Instead, he presents a richer, more nuanced account of religion and American history that honors the complexity of the founding era and explains why historical literacy matters for the health of our democracy today.

For those searching for unbiased historical answers about the founding of the United States, this approachable and well-researched book addresses ten of the most contested questions about Christianity and America's founding that now dominate public debate. This book will help readers more easily navigate and understand the actual historical record, discern how the facts become twisted when taken out of their contexts, and be able to respond to the question of religion and the American founding with clarity and historically grounded understanding.

In reclaiming the full story of America's origins, Fea reminds us that misusing the past to serve present-day goals risks undermining the very Republic the founders sought to build--and challenges us to protect it by seeking the truth with the intent of maintaining a robust and free Republic.

John Fea taught U.S. history at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, for over two decades. He is currently Senior Fellow at the Lumen Center for the Study of Christian and Culture in Madison, Wisconsin. He is the author or editor of several books, including Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? A Historical Introduction (2011, 2016), a finalist for the George Washington Book Prize. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Sojourners, Commonweal, Christianity Today, and other venues. He blogs daily at The Way of Improvement Leads Home.