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Dr. Gregg Frazer was quoted extensively in an article published this week by the Associated Press (AP) examining the role of religion in the founding of the United States.

Frazer, dean of the John P. Stead School of Humanities at ��ݮӰ��, was interviewed as an expert on the subject in connection with his book, “The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders: Reason, Revelation, and Revolution.”

In his book, Frazer examines key founders through their primary documents and concludes that the two prevailing views — that the founders were either faithful Christians or secular deists — aren’t supported by their own private writing. Rather, America’s founding figures were most characterized by what he terms “theistic rationalism,” a blend of theism and Enlightenment thinking.

Frazer believes that thinking clearly about the founders’ Christian beliefs, or lack thereof, is of great importance — and that getting it wrong has real consequences.

“It’s mostly dangerous for Christianity,” Frazer is quoted as saying in the AP article. “(It) muddies the waters in terms of what Christianity is all about.”

was published as part of their coverage of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebration.

For more from Frazer on the religious beliefs of the founders, see this article, which continues to be one of the most-read articles on ��ݮӰ��’s website each month. Learn more about ��ݮӰ��’s political studies program here.