Benjamin Franklin

The Religious Life of a Founding Father

Nonfiction, History, Modern, 18th Century, Religion & Spirituality, Inspiration & Meditation, Spirituality, Biography & Memoir, Political
Cover of the book Benjamin Franklin by Thomas S. Kidd, Yale University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Thomas S. Kidd ISBN: 9780300228144
Publisher: Yale University Press Publication: May 23, 2017
Imprint: Yale University Press Language: English
Author: Thomas S. Kidd
ISBN: 9780300228144
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication: May 23, 2017
Imprint: Yale University Press
Language: English
A major new biography, illuminating the great mystery of Benjamin Franklin’s faith

Renowned as a printer, scientist, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin also published more works on religious topics than any other eighteenth-century American layperson. Born to Boston Puritans, by his teenage years Franklin had abandoned the exclusive Christian faith of his family and embraced deism. But Franklin, as a man of faith, was far more complex than the “thorough deist” who emerges in his autobiography. As Thomas Kidd reveals, deist writers influenced Franklin’s beliefs, to be sure, but devout Christians in his life—including George Whitefield, the era’s greatest evangelical preacher; his parents; and his beloved sister Jane—kept him tethered to the Calvinist creed of his Puritan upbringing. Based on rigorous research into Franklin’s voluminous correspondence, essays, and almanacs, this fresh assessment of a well-known figure unpacks the contradictions and conundrums faith presented in Franklin’s life.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
A major new biography, illuminating the great mystery of Benjamin Franklin’s faith

Renowned as a printer, scientist, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin also published more works on religious topics than any other eighteenth-century American layperson. Born to Boston Puritans, by his teenage years Franklin had abandoned the exclusive Christian faith of his family and embraced deism. But Franklin, as a man of faith, was far more complex than the “thorough deist” who emerges in his autobiography. As Thomas Kidd reveals, deist writers influenced Franklin’s beliefs, to be sure, but devout Christians in his life—including George Whitefield, the era’s greatest evangelical preacher; his parents; and his beloved sister Jane—kept him tethered to the Calvinist creed of his Puritan upbringing. Based on rigorous research into Franklin’s voluminous correspondence, essays, and almanacs, this fresh assessment of a well-known figure unpacks the contradictions and conundrums faith presented in Franklin’s life.

More books from Yale University Press

Cover of the book William Rufus by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book A Little History of Science by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book December 1941: Twelve Days that Began a World War by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book The Words of Others: From Quotations to Culture by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book Social Democracy in the Making by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book Adam Smith's Pluralism by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book Susan Sontag by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book The Life of the Virgin: Maximus the Confessor by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book Practicing Stalinism by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book Frankly, My Dear: "Gone with the Wind" Revisited by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book Private Property and the Constitution by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book Totally Unofficial by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book Philosophy of Economy by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book Scots and Catalans by Thomas S. Kidd
Cover of the book The Brain by Thomas S. Kidd
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy