Our "Founding Fathers" receive much attention today. Recent biographies have dealt with the lives of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, etc. We continue to analyze "what made them tick" as we lament that their like may not come again. We also tend to distort their views and beliefs to suit our own agendas. Steven Waldman has written an even-handed, well-researched account of their religion.

He seeks to debunk "common myths" like "America was settled as a bastion for religious freedom." Actually, he says, most early colonists wanted their own denomination to rule over others. Although North America was settled as a Christian realm, and many states promoted Christianity after the nation was begun, "the United States was not established as a 'Christian nation,'"

Also, the First Amendment was not designed to separate church and state throughout the land as we often suppose, but was intended only to apply to the federal government. "This book aspires mostly to simply describe the dramatic birth of religious freedom without the distortions introduced by either a heavy ideological agenda or romantic wishful thinking."

He begins, appropriately, with the Puritans, who, in addition to fine contributions (widespread literacy, outlawing usury, honoring the dignity of work,) used the power of mixing church and state to deny citizenship to those who disagreed with them. They believed that only a limited number of Christians had been selected by God to receive salvation.

Every colony experimented with the relationship between church and state. Most defined Christianity as Protestantism, and most discriminated against Catholics and Jews. Rhode Island (led by Roger Williams who had been banished from Massachusetts) was closest to the ideal of tolerance. Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland led different though similar paths. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia were at first dominated by the Church of England.

Benjamin Franklin was brought up in the Puritan Church, but rebelled against the clergy early and often. He was not an atheist as some have claimed, struggling against organized religion but writing his own prayers. He supported George Whitefield, an important leader in the Great Awakening.

Puritanism also was important in the life of John Adams. He attended church regularly, but came to reject some parts of orthodox Christian theology. "Adams believed religion had its problems, but we'd all be worse without it.

Adams believed that religion was one of the major causes of the Revolution. It did so in ways that affected later fights over the separation of church and state. Colonists were afraid that England was launching friendship with Catholicism. They associated the Church of England with that faith, in spite of the history of conflict between them. The colonists represented religious pluralism. The Revolution might be a "holy war," but it could not be led by one particular denomination.

George Washington emphasized religious tolerance, and appealed to God to guide the war for independence. The founding of the nation was influenced by his farsightedness and by the hopes of the former Puritans Adams and Franklin. It was also shaped by the vision of Thomas Jefferson who wanted religious freedom partly because he wanted to be free himself, religiously.

James Madison was affected by persecution of Baptists in his home county; his distress over this bigotry helped form his opposition to religious intolerance.

Waldman writes clearly, with entertaining anecdotes. He closes by saying, "We are the most religiously vibrant nation on earth not despite separation of church and state -- and religious freedom -- but because of it."