Moral Minority - by Brooke Allen (Paperback)

About the Book

In her lively refutation of modern claims about America's religious origins, Brooke Allen looks back at the late eighteenth century and shows decisively that the United States was founded not on Christian principles at all but on Enlightenment ideas. Enlivened by generous port...

Book Synopsis

In her lively refutation of modern claims about America's religious origins, Brooke Allen looks back at the late eighteenth century and shows decisively that the United States was founded not on Christian principles at all but on Enlightenment ideas. Enlivened by generous portions of the founders' own incomparable prose, Moral Minority makes an impassioned and scintillating contribution to the ongoing debate-more heated now than ever before-over the separation of church and state and the role (or lack thereof) of religion in government.

Review Quotes

[Written] in a brisk, highly readable style.

A mighty case for the religious questioning of America's Founding Fathers . . . thoughtful, diligently researched and often eyebrow-raising.


A small, and wildly underappreciated book.


Ably demonstrates the uncontroversial thesis that many of the founding fathers were not very devout.

Allen delivers a rationalist polemic against those who would make of the American Founders observant, believing Christians in the modern sense. . . . Ms. Allen writes with facility.


Allen lucidly demolishes the fundamentalists' revisionist history of the Constitution. . . . An elegant and riveting defense.


Allen provides honest answers to the questions about the religious beliefs and practices of Washington and the other key founders.

Allen's book . . . brings the substantial literary talents of a public intellectual to the dialogue on church and state in America.


Allen's clear and intelligent eye is a pleasure . . . a fine small book.


Careful and provocative reading. . . . Allen's book is welcome counterweight.


Enlightening, infectiously enthusiastic scrutiny.

Examine[s] the . . . Founding Fathers to convincingly demonstrate that Christian belief did not guide their political thinking . . . an excellent concluding chapter.


Her argument marks a salient starting point for an informed debate on a compelling topic. Those who call the U.S. a 'Christian Nation' when referring not only to the religious beliefs of its citizens but to the structure and intention of its government ought to welcome the contrarian challenge she poses.

If our right-wing adversaries insist on claiming that Washington and Franklin actually wanted the United States to be a Christian theocracy, Allen's book certainly can help to refute that outrageous lie.

Informed by substantial research in their writings and provides numerous quotations.

Meticulously researched and eminently readable. . . . Enthusiastically recommended for all collections.


Ms. Allen succeeds perfectly.

This is a thoughtful, well-written book.

This is an excellent book about the beliefs of the six founders and well worth a read. Highly recommended.

Well documented, exuberantly argued and quite persuasive.

About the Author

Brooke Allen's Twentieth-Century Attitudes was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. She has also written Artistic License. Her critical writing appears frequently in the Times Book Review, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Criterion, The Hudson Review, The Nation, and The New Leader. She lives with her husband and two children in Brooklyn, New York.