Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Debating the Founding Fathers' faith is a sturdy American indoor sport. So a biography of the most celebrated Founder oriented around his religious opinions should fly off library shelves. And Kidd proffers a very fine book about America's first international celebrity. Drawing on Franklin's many pamphlets and newspaper essays on religion, his correspondence with his most religious close friends his sister Jane Mecom and the spearhead of the Great Awakening, evangelist George Whitefield and the remarks of other acquaintances, Kidd argues that Franklin was, from very early on, a deist who believed in benevolent divine Providence. He disliked doctrine, especially the Calvinist predestination in which he was raised, preferring the Christian morality of good works. Having first read the Bible in toto by age five, he had its words at the tip of his tongue; his writing and speech teem with biblical citation and allusion. When he disputed with doctrinaire Christians, he used reason, never deprecation. Of humble heritage, he avoided mounting his high horse. He pioneered a distinctly American kind of religion, Kidd says, a doctrineless, moralized Christianity, in which virtually all beliefs became nonessential and God calls all to do good. Consider this lucid, economical, nonacademic work of scholarship a new cornerstone of Franklin studies.--Olson, Ray Copyright 2017 Booklist
Choice Review
Though Benjamin Franklin described himself as a "thorough deist," historian Kidd (Baylor) points out that even to Franklin, deism at different times meant many different things. As such, Kidd's exploration of Franklin's religious life is a needed addition to scholarship on the founding generation. Having already published the excellent biography George Whitefield: America's Spiritual Founding Father (CH, Mar'15, 52-3610), Kidd is particularly well positioned to document Franklin's influential friendship with this essential evangelist and publishing marvel. Kidd's skill is not limited to this one relationship, however, as he deftly portrays many of Franklin's associations, ranging from family members and mistresses to servants, friends, and colleagues. Through each, the author proves Franklin to be, not surprisingly, a complicated spiritual man. Kidd makes a simple or static understanding of Franklin's philosophy, spiritual or otherwise, untenable. The book's chronological prose has a meandering style within chapters, but an effective one. Kidd's research and fairness prove invaluable in providing a nuanced grasp of an essential founding father who, while "well-known," is too often misunderstood. Readers seeking to truly understand Franklin, and particularly his religious commitments and beliefs, should certainly seek out Kidd's work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. --Jason R. Edwards, Grove City College
Library Journal Review
If the relationship of the Founding Fathers to religion were to be put in Facebook terms, it would be: "It's complicated." This is even truer of Benjamin Franklin's relationship to Christianity. Kidd (history, Baylor Univ.; coauthor, Baptists in America), an evangelical historian trained at the University of Notre Dame, has carefully culled Franklin's (1706-90) works in an attempt to understand his faith. In the end, Kidd finds Franklin's spirituality to be enigmatic. Raised Calvinist, he was close to a number of religious figures over the years and disputed with many more. His was an ethical, rather than dogmatic Christian; he greatly admired the moral teachings of Jesus, but was unsure about his divinity. Kidd presents a man who seriously investigates the claims of his religion and, as a result, offers a fuller portrait of the Founding Fathers, who are too often seen simply as deists. -VERDICT Kidd's smoothly written work examines Franklin's religion without losing the objectivity of the historian, adding an important element to the general study found in Walter -Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin: An -American Life.-Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, NJ © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
