Question

what role did the religious views of prominent leaders such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin come to play in the new nation?

Answer 1

The founders of America had neither a common religious tradition nor an established church. That had been one of the strengths of America. Just Northeastern Congregationalists and Southern Episcopalians came close to an official church. Religion has come to be a family heritage for many Americans. Michael and Jana Novak argued that: "For Anglicans, Catholics, and Jews, faith came with one's mother's milk, so to speak, and only slowly could a teenager make the inherited religion his own. The sensitivity acquired in such a practice is that of a' church' rather than a' sect'–the sensitivity of being born into practices, beliefs, traditions, obligations.

One can distinguish a Deism-influenced Founding Father from an Orthodox Christian adherent by following those standards. Anyone who seeks the answer should consider at least the four points below. Secondly, an inquirer will investigate the role of the Founder in the church. Nevertheless, because a colonial church has served not only religious but also social and political purposes, church attendance or participation in a governing body (such as an Anglican vestry, which was a state office in colonies like Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina) does not guarantee the orthodoxy of a Founder.

Though no historical analysis can capture any person's inner faith, these four indicators that help to locate the Founders on the religious spectrum. For example, Ethan Allen apparently was a non-Christian Deist. James Monroe, Paine's close friend, officially remained an Episcopal but may have stood closer to non-Christian Deism than to Christian Deism. Founders who fall into the category of Christian Deists include Washington (whose dedication to Christianity was evident in his own mind), John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, with some qualifications. Jefferson was more influenced by the Enlightenment, centered on reason than Adams or Washington.

Although orthodox Christians took part in the new republic at every stage, Deism influenced a majority of the Founders. The movement opposed barriers to social justice and moral improvement. This stood for fair enquiry, doctrine and mystery skepticism, and religious tolerance. Many of its members advocated universal education, press freedom and the separation of church and state