Forgotten Features of the Founding: The Recovery of Religious Themes in the Early American Republic

Exploring the deep significance of previously neglected religious themes in the Founding Era, this book of six original essays argues that wihtout understanding these themes, it is impossible to comprehend the religious mentality of the Founding Era. Among the themes elucidated and explored are the doctrine of the future state of rewards and punishments, the civil magistrate’s idealized role as the nursing father, and the conception of rights as moral powers grounded in religion. Hutson’s essays challenge current scholarship on the Founding Era, which often downplays the importance of Christian ideals in the formation of the American government.