American Gospel - Annotated by Jon Meacham (Paperback)

About the Book

Brilliantly articulating an argument that links the Founding Fathers to an insightful, contemporary point of view, "American Gospel" renews readers' understanding of history, and what public religion has meant in America.

Book Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham presents "a nimble examination of how American leaders . . . have wrestled with God personally and publicly" (USA Today)--now featuring a new Afterword by the author

"A revealing and useful primer on an important, timely, and often volatile topic."--Chicago Tribune

At a time when our country seems divided by extremism, American Gospel draws upon history to offer a new perspective on God and politics. The American Gospel--literally, the "good news" about America--is that religion shapes our public life without controlling it. In this vivid book, Jon Meacham re-creates the fascinating history of a nation grappling with faith and government--from John Winthrop's "city on a hill" sermon to Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence; from the Revolution to the Civil War; from George Washington to Ronald Reagan. American Gospel makes it compellingly clear that the nation's best chance of summoning what Lincoln called "the better angels of our nature" lies in recovering the spirit and sense of the Founding Fathers. In looking back, we may find the light to lead us forward.

Review Quotes

"Thoughtful . . . The vitality of Americans' religious faith explains the persistence of a 'public religion' that continues to trouble unbelievers and secular thinkers."--The Washington Post

"[A] sensibly balanced and engaging narrative account of religion's role in our nation's history."--Los Angeles Times

"Jon Meacham has given us an insightful and eloquent account of the spiritual foundation of the early days of the American republic. It is especially instructive reading at a time when the nation is at once engaged in and deeply divided on the question of religion and its place in public life."--Tom Brokaw, author of The Greatest Generation

"Employing the cadence and elegance of language crafted by America's Founding Fathers, Newsweek managing editor Jon Meacham has written a thoughtful history of America in which religion imbued, but did not overpower, its construction. . . . A lively combination of history and literature. At a time when the mix of religion and politics is fraught with tension and toxicity, Meacham's book is a deft reminder of the carefully planted American roots that have given freedom and religion such fertile ground in this country."--The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A nimble examination of how American leaders . . . have wrestled with God personally and publicly . . . an enlightening look at how the founders discovered ways to tame but not extinguish the fires of faith."--USA Today

"Jon Meacham provides a refreshingly clear, balanced, and wise historical portrait of religion and American politics at exactly the moment when such fairness and understanding are much needed. Anyone who doubts the relevance of history to our own time has only to read this exceptional book."--David McCullough, author of 1776

"Lively, accessible, and persuasive . . . [a] wonderful new book."--The New York Sun

"An absorbing narrative full of vivid characters and fresh thinking, American Gospel tells how the Founding Fathers-and their successors-struggled with their own religious and political convictions to work out the basic structure for freedom of religion. For me this book was nonstop reading."--Elaine Pagels, professor of religion, Princeton University, author of Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas

"Jon Meacham is one of our country's most brilliant thinkers about religion's impact on American society. In this scintillating and provocative book, Meacham reveals the often-hidden influence of religious belief on the Founding Fathers and on later generations of American citizens and leaders up to our own. Today, as we argue more strenuously than ever about the proper place of religion in our politics and the rest of American life, Meacham's important book should serve as the touchstone of the debate."--Michael Beschloss, author of The Conquerors

"At a time when faith and freedom seem increasingly polarized, American Gospel recovers our vital center-the middle ground where, historically, religion and public life strike a delicate balance. Well researched, well written, inspiring, and persuasive, this is a welcome addition to the literature."--Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University, author of American Judaism: A History

About the Author

Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer. The author of the New York Times bestsellers Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, Franklin and Winston, Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, and The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, he is a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, a contributing writer for The New York Times Book Review, and a fellow of the Society of American Historians. Meacham lives in Nashville and in Sewanee with his wife and children.