George Washington and religion
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The religious views of George Washington have long been debated. While some of the other
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, such as
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,
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, and
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, were noted for writing about religion,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
rarely discussed his religious and philosophical views. Washington attended the Anglican Church through all of his life, and was baptized as an infant. He was a member of several churches which he attended, and served as an Anglican vestryman and
warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically identic ...
for more than fifteen years, when
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
had an
established church A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular, is not necessarily a t ...
. As a young man he also joined the
Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, which also promoted spiritual and moral values for society. His personal letters and public speeches sometimes referred to "
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
", a term for God used by both Christians and deists.


Anglican affiliations

Washington's great-great-grandfather,
Lawrence Washington Laurence or Lawrence Washington may refer to: *Laurence Washington (MP for Maidstone) (1546–1619), Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone *Lawrence Washington (1622–1662), MP for Malmesbury *Lawrence Washington (1565–1616), Mayor of Northam ...
, was an Anglican rector in England.
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
was baptized in infancy into the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
, which, until 1776, was the
established church A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular, is not necessarily a t ...
(state religion) of Virginia. As an adult, Washington served as a member of the
vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...
(lay council) for his local parish. In colonial-era Virginia, office-holding qualifications at all levels—including the
House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been established ...
, to which Washington was elected in 1758—required affiliation with the current state religion and an undertaking that one would neither express dissent nor do anything that did not conform to church doctrine. At the library of the New-York Historical Society, some manuscripts containing a leaf from the church record of Pohick were available to Benson Lossing, an American historian, which he included in his ''Field Book of the Revolution''; the leaf contained the following signed oath, required to qualify individuals as vestrymen: Washington served as a vestryman or warden for more than 15 years. The Vestry in Virginia was the governing body of each church. As the British monarch is
Supreme Governor of the Church of England The supreme governor of the Church of England is the titular head of the Church of England, a position which is vested in the British monarch. Queen and Church > Queen and Church of England">The Monarchy Today > Queen and State > Queen and Chur ...
, and its clergy swear an
Oath of Supremacy The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public or church office in England to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Failure to do so was to be treated as treasonable. The Oath of Supremacy was ori ...
to the monarch, the American churches established the Episcopal Church after the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
. The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786) disestablished the Church, although it retained some lands which had been purchased with public money. (The denominations that share the Church of England tradition are associated through the
Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
.)


Attendance at religious services

Washington paid for pews at several churches. Rev. Lee Massey, his pastor wrote, "I never knew so constant an attendant in church as Washington." However, Washington's personal diaries indicate that he did not regularly attend services while home at Mount Vernon, spending most Sundays writing letters, conducting business, fox-hunting, or doing other activities. Biographer
Paul Leicester Ford Paul Leicester Ford (March 23, 1865 – May 8, 1902) was an American novelist and biographer, born in Brooklyn, the son of Gordon Lester Ford and Emily Fowler Ford (a granddaughter of Noah Webster and lifelong friend of Emily Dickinson). Life and ...
wrote:
His daily "where and how my time is spent" tells how often he attended church, and in the year 1760 he went sixteen times, and in 1768 he went fourteen.Ford, Paul Leicester. ''The True George Washington'' (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1897), 78.
While he was at Mount Vernon, his first parish was Pohick Church, from Mt. Vernon; his second parish in
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was away. When traveling, particularly on political business, he was more likely to attend church services. In the seven Sundays during the
First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 British colonies that became the United States. It met from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after the British Navy ...
in Philadelphia, he went to church on three occasions, attending Anglican,
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
, and
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
services.Ferling, John. ''The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon'' (New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2009), 78. During his tours of the nation in his two terms as president, he attended religious services in each city, sometimes as frequently as three services in a day.


Communion

The record of Washington receiving communion was spotty.''Six Historic Americans'' by John Remsburg, Chapter 3
Ministers at four of the churches Washington often attended wrote that he regularly left services before communion. After the religious ceremony and Pulpit service Washington, along with the greater congregation, would exit the church, leaving wife Martha with the communicants to receive communion. In one definitive case a Pastor James Abercrombie of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, in Philadelphia took exception to the advent and, considering it his duty, said in one of his sermons that he was unhappy to see people in elevated stations not set an example by receiving communion. He later admitted that the remark was intended for the President, and indeed Washington had assumed the remark was aimed at him. Washington later discussed the incident with a Congressman at a dinner and related to him that he had honored the preacher for his integrity and candour, and that he had never considered that his example was of any influence. Never being a communicant, Washington felt that if he were to begin it would be seen as an ostentatious display of a President flaunting his religion solely prompted by the Pastor's remarks. Historian Paul F. Boller suggests that Washington, a man who had helped to promote a major war, refrained from receiving communion from the idea that his heart and mind were not in "a proper condition to receive the sacrament," and that Washington simply did not want to indulge in something he regarded to be an act of hypocrisy on his part. After the incident it is believed that Washington completely stopped attending that church on communion Sundays. In 1915 the great-grandson of
Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton Elizabeth Hamilton (née Schuyler ; August 9, 1757 – November 9, 1854), also called Eliza or Betsey, was an American socialite and philanthropist. Married to American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, she was a defender of his works and co- ...
reported that his grandmother said, when she was 97 years old (about 1854), "If anyone ever tells you that George Washington was not a communicant in the Church, you say that your great-grandmother told you to say that she 'had knelt at this chancel rail at his side and received with him the Holy Communion.'" Nonetheless, it was also not uncommon in those days for churchgoers to pass on participating in communion.


Baptism

As noted above, Washington was baptized as an infant into the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
(Anglican Church), in April 1732. During the Revolutionary War it has been suggested that Washington was again baptized by the
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
chaplain to the Continental Army John Gano at Valley Forge. Washington biographer Rupert Hughes determined that Rev. Gano served with George Clinton's army, not with Washington's, that the location is sometimes given as Valley Forge and sometimes as the
Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...
, that there is no documentation of Gano ever being at Valley Forge, that there is nothing in Gano's own correspondence or his biography to suggest that the event took place, and that none of the 42 reputed witnesses ever documented the event. Washington himself was a godfather in the baptism of several children including his niece Frances Lewis, his nephews Fielding Lewis and Charles Lewis, Catharine Van Rensselaer (daughter of Philip Schuyler), George Washington Colfax (son of
William Colfax William Colfax (July 3, 1756 – September 9, 1838) was a Revolutionary War figure who served as Captain of George Washington's Life Guard beginning on March 18, 1778. William was the fifth child born to George Colfax (born: December 25, 1727) ...
) and Benjamin Lincoln Lear (son of
Tobias Lear Tobias Lear (September 19, 1762 – October 11, 1816) was the personal secretary to President of the United States, President George Washington. Lear served Washington from 1784 until the former-President's death in 1799. Lear's journal details Was ...
).


Public writings and speeches

Washington used the word "God" 146 times in his personal and public writings, many of which were in his public speechesJohn C. Fitzpatrick's Writings of George Washington
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
– 2015
and while some were regularly used phrases such as "thank God," "God knows," "for God's sake," or "my God!" there are many other examples where Washington used thoughtful expressions about God and His Providence. From his Headquarters in New York, July 9, 1776, Washington issued a General Order which read, in pertinent part, "The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary but especially so in times of public distress and danger—The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country." Throughout his life, Washington spoke of the value of righteousness, and of seeking and offering thanks for the "blessings of Heaven." Washington often spoke of "Providence." The
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
historian and philosopher
Michael Novak Michael John Novak Jr. (September 9, 1933 – February 17, 2017) was an American Catholic philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat. The author of more than forty books on the philosophy and theology of culture, Novak is most widely known ...
writes that Anglican laymen of that period rarely invoked the name of
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
. The most famous reference came in a 1779 letter to a delegation of Native Americans. The letter was in the handwriting of an aide, and the leading biographers, including
Chernow Chernow is a surname. Notable persons with this name include: *Ann Chernow (born 1936), American artist *Barbara Chernow, American academic administrator *Ron Chernow (born 1949), American writer, journalist, historian, and biographer *Admiral Cher ...
, Henriques and Freeman, say that the aide wrote it, not Washington:
You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do every thing they can to assist you in this wise intention; and to tie the knot of friendship and union so fast, that nothing shall ever be able to loose it.
Washington referenced Jesus Christ as the "divine Author of our blessed Religion" in his "Circular Letter to the Governors" of 1783 in the following prayer:
"I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation."
When the
Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
authorized a day of
fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...
in 1778, Washington told his soldiers:
The Honorable Congress having thought proper to recommend to The United States of America to set apart Wednesday the 22nd. instant to be observed as a day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, that at one time and with one voice the righteous dispensations of Providence may be acknowledged and His Goodness and Mercy toward us and our Arms supplicated and implored; The General directs that this day also shall be religiously observed in the Army, that no work be done thereon and that the Chaplains prepare discourses suitable to the Occasion.
Washington believed in the importance of religion for republican government. His 1796 '' Farewell Address'', written by
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...
and revised by himself, said that it was unrealistic to expect that a whole nation, whatever might be said of minds of peculiar structure, could long be moral without religion, that national morality is necessary for good government, and that politicians should cherish religion's support of national morality: Washington rejected an additional sentence, also written by Alexander Hamilton, with a stronger sentiment: "does ational moralitynot require the aid of a generally received and divinely authoritative Religion?" For decades, Washington was credited with starting the tradition of adding the words "so help me, God" to the presidential inaugural oath, although experts at the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
, the U.S. Senate Historical Office, and Mount Vernon have said there is no evidence to support that claim. None of the detailed contemporaneous eyewitness accounts of the first inauguration mentioned that Washington had used that expression, and it is not part of the text of the inaugural oath prescribed by the Constitution. The first authors to state that Washington added the words were
Rufus Wilmot Griswold Rufus Wilmot Griswold (February 13, 1815 – August 27, 1857) was an American anthologist, editor, poet, and critic. Born in Vermont, Griswold left home when he was 15 years old. He worked as a journalist, editor, and critic in Philadelphia, New Y ...
in 1854 and
Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...
in 1857. (According to the Library of Congress, the earliest documented use of that phrase during an inauguration was by President Chester Arthur, almost a century after Washington's first inauguration.) In his first inaugural address, Washington stressed his belief that the new nation "was under the special agency of Providence." Washington made several statements as General of the Army which mentioned religion. Sparks quotes orders given by General Washington to his Army requiring them to attend to their religious duties and "to implore the blessing of Heaven" upon the American Army. Early in his presidency, at the request of Congress, he issued the first
National Thanksgiving Proclamation The National Thanksgiving Proclamation was the first presidential proclamation of Thanksgiving in the United States. President George Washington declared Thursday, November 26, 1789 as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. Background Setting as ...
on October 3, 1789. The proclamation was sent to the governors of the states, and assigns the day upon which "the people of these States" devote themselves in service to "that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be." It urges the people in the young country to express their gratitude to God for: his protection of them through the Revolutionary War and the peace they had experienced since; for allowing the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...
to be composed in a "peaceable and rational manner;" for the "civil and religious liberty" they possessed; and "in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us." The proclamation also states that "it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor." It ends by calling the people of the United States to prayer and to beseech God "to pardon our national and other transgressions;" to allow the national government to be wise and just; to "protect and guide" all nations; to promote "true religion and virtue, and the increase of science;" and to "grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best."


Private writings

In his letters to young people, particularly to his adopted children, Washington urged upon them truth, character, honesty, but said little or nothing related to specific items of religious practice. Analysts who have studied Washington's papers held by the Library of Congress say that his correspondence with Masonic Lodges is filled with references to the "
Great Architect of the Universe The Great Architect of the Universe (also Grand Architect of the Universe, or Supreme Architect of the Universe), is a conception of God discussed by many Christian theologians and apologists. As a designation it is used within Freemasonry to re ...
." Prayers said to have been composed by him in his later life are highly edited. An unfinished book of Christian prayers attributed to him (as a youth) by a collector (around 1891) was rejected by
Worthington C. Ford Worthington Chauncey Ford (February 15, 1858 – March 7, 1941) was an American historian, archivist and editor of a number of collections of documents from early American history. He served in a variety of government positions: first, as the ch ...
, editor of an edition of Washington's papers, and the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
for lack of authenticity. Comparisons to documents Washington wrote show that it is not in his handwriting. In a letter to George Mason in 1785, he wrote that he was not among those alarmed by a bill "making people pay towards the support of that eligionwhich they profess", but felt that it was "impolitic" to pass such a measure, and wished it had never been proposed, believing that it would disturb public tranquility.


Support of religious toleration

Washington held that all religions, and nearly all religious practices, were beneficial to humans. On some occasions, such as when he was President, he attended Sunday services at various churches. Washington was an early supporter of
religious toleration Religious toleration may signify "no more than forbearance and the permission given by the adherents of a dominant religion for other religions to exist, even though the latter are looked on with disapproval as inferior, mistaken, or harmful". ...
and
freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
. In 1775, he ordered that his troops not show anti-Catholic sentiments by burning the pope in effigy on
Guy Fawkes Night Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Fireworks Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain, involving bonfires and fireworks displays. Its history begins with the ev ...
. Washington was an officer in the
Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, an organization which, at the time Washington lived, required that its members "will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine", which meant that they should believe in God, regardless of other religious convictions or affiliations. Some biographers hold the opinion that many of the American Founding Fathers (and especially Washington) believed that, as leaders of the nation, they should remain silent on questions of doctrine and denomination, to avoid creating unnecessary divisiveness within the nation; instead they should promote the virtues taught by religion in general.


Tolerance

When acquiring workmen for Mount Vernon, he wrote to his agent, "If they be good workmen, they may be from Asia, Africa, or Europe; they may be Mohammedans /nowiki>Muslims">Muslim.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Muslim">/nowiki>Muslims Jews">Muslim">_nowiki>Muslim<_a>s.html" ;"title="Muslim.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Muslim">/nowiki>Muslims">Muslim.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Muslim">/nowiki>Muslims Jews, or Christians of any sect, or they may be Atheists."


Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island

In 1790, Washington expressed his support for religious tolerance where in a Touro Synagogue#Annual recitation of the Washington–Seixas letter on religious pluralism">letter Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet. * Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alphabe ...
to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, he stated, "May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid." The phrase "under his own vine and fig tree" is from the
Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''.
Hebrew: ''Tān ...
(
Micah Micah (; ) is a given name. Micah is the name of several people in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), and means "Who is like God?" The name is sometimes found with Theophoric name, theophoric extensions. Suffix theophory in ''Jah, Yah'' and in ''Y ...
4:4). Washington also wrote two other letters to Jewish communities.


Eyewitness accounts

Eyewitness accounts exist of Washington engaging in morning devotions. Jared Sparks recorded the following account from Washington's nephew George W. Lewis: "Mr. Lewis said he had accidentally witnessed ashington'sprivate devotions in his library both morning and evening; that on those occasions he had seen him in a kneeling position with a Bible open before him and that he believed such to have been his daily practice." Sparks also reports that Washington's adopted daughter, Nelly Custis-Lewis, in response to his request for information on Washington's religions views, wrote, "He attended the church at Alexandria when the weather and roads permitted a ride of ten miles (a one-way journey of 2–3 hours by horse or carriage). In New York and Philadelphia he never omitted attendance at church in the morning, unless detained by indisposition ickness" She continued by saying "No one in church attended to the services with more reverential respect." She added: "I should have thought it the greatest heresy to doubt his firm belief in Christianity. His life, his writings, prove that he was a Christian. He was not one of those who act or pray, that they may be seen of men." In closing, Nelly attempted to answer the question of whether General Washington was a Christian. She responded, "Is it necessary that any one should certify, 'General Washington avowed himself to me a believer in Christianity?' As well may we question his patriotism, his heroic, disinterested devotion to his country. His mottos were, 'Deeds, not Words;' and, 'For God and my Country.'"
Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis (March 31, 1779 – July 15, 1852), known as Nelly, was a granddaughter of Martha Washington and a step-granddaughter and adopted daughter of George Washington. Childhood Nelly was a daughter of John Parke Custis and E ...
' letter written to Jared Sparks, 1833
During the Revolutionary War, General Robert Porterfield stated he "found him on his knees, engaged in his morning's devotions."
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...
corroborated Porterfield's account, stating "such was his most constant habit." A French citizen who knew Washington well during the Revolutionary War and the presidency stated "Every day of the year, he rises at five in the morning; as soon as he is up, he dresses, then prays reverently to God." Indeed, Washington had purchased a prayer book "with the New Version of Psalms & good plain Type" a few years before the Revolutionary War. On February 1, 1800, a few weeks after Washington's death,
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
made the following entry in his journal, regarding an incident on the occasion of Washington's departure from office:''Six Historic Americans'' by John Remsburg
Remsburg also presents a very similar account from Rev. Ashbel Green, one of the members of the clergy in the group
In the 1840s, abolitionist
newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
s printed interviews with and testimony of
Oney Judge Ona "Oney" Judge Staines ( 1773 – February 25, 1848) was an enslaved woman of mixed races who was owned by the Washington family, first at the family's plantation at Mount Vernon and later, after George Washington became president, at the ...
, a slave who escaped from the Washingtons in 1796. One such article, from the '' Granite Freeman'', stated: "she never heard Washington pray, and does not believe that he was accustomed to. 'Mrs. Washington used to read prayers, but I don't call that praying.'" as quoted in (It should be kept in mind that reading printed prayers is typical
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
practice.) In another case, the Rev. Benjamin Chase, in a letter to ''
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'', wrote that "She says that the stories told of Washington's piety and prayers, so far as she ever saw or heard while she was his slave, ''have no foundation''. Card-playing and wine-drinking were the business at his parties, and he had more of such company Sundays than on any other day." as quoted in In both cases, these statements were intended to disparage Washington's character, as he had held
slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
s; for example, Chase continues, "I do not mention this as showing, in my estimation, his anti-Christian character, so much as the bare fact of being a slaveholder, and not a hundredth part so much as trying to kidnap this woman; but, in the minds of the community, it will weigh infinitely more."


Deism and scholarly views

Even during his lifetime, people were unsure of the degree to which Washington believed in Christianity. As noted above, some of his contemporaries called him a deist. Debate continues to this day regarding whether he is best categorized as a deist or as a Christian, and some writers have introduced other terms to describe a blending of the two. Deism was an influential worldview during his lifetime. There is no known record of Washington ever using "Jesus" or "Christ" in private or public writings or speeches. One document he signed but did not write did say to the Delaware Indian chiefs that learning the "religion of Jesus Christ" is the most important thing they can do. Furthermore, Washington used "God" 146 times in his personal and public writings.John C. Fitzpatrick's Writings of George Washington
– 2015
Some of these references to "God" are stock phrases like "God forbid" or "God be with you". Some instances are serious expressions about God and especially His divine intervention in the affairs of mankind, commonly known as Providence. Washington used words such as "Grand Architect" and "Providence" that were popular among some deists. These terms were also commonly used by the Freemasons. While deists and Freemasons did use these words, words like "Providence" specifically were not exclusively used by deists and Freemasons, but were also used by Christians during Washington's time period. Historian Fred Anderson says that Washington's Providence was, "a generally benevolent, as well as an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient being, but He was hardly the kind of warm and loving God embraced by the evangelical Protestants." Paul F. Boller, Jr. stated "Washington was no infidel, if by infidel is meant unbeliever. Washington had an unquestioning faith in Providence and, as we have seen, he voiced this faith publicly on numerous occasions. That this was no mere rhetorical flourish on his part, designed for public consumption, is apparent from his constant allusions to Providence in his personal letters. There is every reason to believe, from a careful analysis of religious references in his private correspondence, that Washington's reliance upon a Grand Designer along Deist lines was as deep-seated and meaningful for his life as, say, Ralph Waldo Emerson's serene confidence in a Universal Spirit permeating the ever shifting appearances of the everyday world."
David L. Holmes David L. Holmes (August 28, 1932 – April 29, 2023) was an American church historian. He was Walter G. Mason Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. He was married to Carolyn Coggin Holmes, executive director of Ja ...
, author of '' The Faiths of the Founding Fathers'', in a sidebar article for Britannica categorizes Washington as a Christian deist. His usage of this category implies a religious spectrum of sorts for deism. Holmes also distinguishes between strict deists and orthodox Christians by their church attendance, participation in religious rites (such as baptism, Holy Communion, and
confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...
), the use of religious language, and opinions of contemporary family, friends, clergy, and acquaintances. Regarding these specific parameters, Holmes describes Washington as a Christian deist due to his religious behavior falling somewhere between that of an
orthodox Christian Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churche ...
and a strict deist. Although Washington was clearly not a communicant, was infrequent in his Church attendance, and did not deem it necessary to participate in religious rites, Holmes labels him as a Christian deist due to his references of God, which resemble strict deistic terminology yet add a Christian dimension of mercy and divine nature. Additionally, Holmes states that Washington's "dedication to Christianity was clear in his own mind" as to imply that Washington's own religious self-analysis should be deemed at least as noteworthy as that of critics who claim he was unorthodox. Historian and Washington specialist Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. highlights "Providence" as the central feature of Washington's religious faith, noting that "Providence" was Washington's most often-used term for God. In 2006
Peter Lillback Peter A. Lillback is an American theologian who is President and Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate educational institution in Glenside, Pennsylv ...
, the president of Westminster Theological Seminary, published a lengthy book through his own non-profit organization on the subject of Washington's religious beliefs. The book, ''George Washington's Sacred Fire'', proposed that Washington was an orthodox Christian within the framework of his time; it gained attention through promotion on
Glenn Beck Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American conservative political commentator, radio host, entrepreneur, and television producer. He is the CEO, founder, and owner of Mercury Radio Arts, the parent company of his television and rad ...
's show. Lillback claims he disproved the deist hypothesis. Lillback has explained more recently that evidence unavailable to earlier historians shows that
Washington referred to himself frequently using the words "ardent," "fervent," "pious," and "devout." There are over one hundred different prayers composed and written by Washington in his own hand, with his own words, in his writings....Although he never once used the word "Deist" in his voluminous writings, he often mentioned religion, Christianity, and the Gospel....Historians ought no longer be permitted to do the legerdemain of turning Washington into a Deist even if they found it necessary and acceptable to do so in the past. Simply put, it is time to let the words and writings of Washington's faith speak for themselves.
Biographer Barry Schwartz has stated that Washington's "practice of Christianity was limited and superficial, because he was not himself a Christian. In the enlightened tradition of his day, he was a devout Deist—just as many of the clergymen who knew him suspected." Two books exploring Washington's religious beliefs—''Realistic Visionary'' by Peter Henriques, and ''Faith and the Presidency'' by Gary Scott Smith—both categorize Washington as a ''theistic rationalist'' which is described as a hybrid belief system somewhere between strict deism and orthodox Christianity, with rationalism as the predominant element. The term itself is not known to have been in use during Washington's lifetime. The
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
historian and philosopher
Michael Novak Michael John Novak Jr. (September 9, 1933 – February 17, 2017) was an American Catholic philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat. The author of more than forty books on the philosophy and theology of culture, Novak is most widely known ...
maintains that Washington could not have been strictly a Deist, but was a Christian:
What we did prove, and quite conclusively, is that Washington cannot be called a Deist—at least, not in a sense that excludes his being Christian. Although he did most often address God in the proper names a Deist might use—such as "Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be" and "Disposer of all human events"—the actions that Washington expected God to perform, as expressed both in his official public prayers (whether as general or as president) and in his private prayers as recorded, are the sorts of actions only the God of the Bible performs: interposing his actions in human events, forgiving sins, enlightening minds, bringing good harvests, intervening on behalf of one party in a struggle between good and evil (in this case, between liberty and the deprivation of liberty), etc. Many persons at the end of the 18th century were both Christians and Deists. But it cannot be said, in the simpleminded sense in which historians have become accustomed to putting it, that Washington was merely a Deist, or even that the God to whom he prayed was expected to behave like a Deist God at all.
Biographer Ron Chernow, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, '' Washington: A Life'', has acknowledged the profound role Christianity played in Washington's life through the 18th-century Virginian Anglican/Episcopalian church: In 2012, historian Gregg Frazer argued that Washington was not a deist but a "theistic rationalist." This theological position rejected core beliefs of Christianity, such as the divinity of Christ, the
Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
and
Original Sin Original sin is the Christian doctrine that holds that humans, through the fact of birth, inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 (t ...
. However, unlike the deists, the theological rationalists believed in the
efficacy of prayer The efficacy of prayer has been studied since at least 1872, generally through experiments to determine whether prayer or intercessory prayer has a measurable effect on the health of the person for whom prayer is offered. A study in 2006 indicate ...
to God.


Death and burial

On his death bed, Washington did not summon a minister or priest. After his death, he was buried according to the rite of the Episcopal Church, with the Rev. Thomas Davis, rector of
Christ Church, Alexandria Christ Church is an Episcopal church located at 118 North Washington Street, with an entrance at 141 North Columbus Street, in Alexandria, Virginia. Constructed as the main church in the Church of England's Fairfax Parish, the building was desi ...
, officiating. Masonic rites were also performed by members of his lodge.


Alleged religious conversions

Unverified stories from Catholic sources say that on his deathbed Washington converted to Catholicism. In an 1883 Catholic publication "his colored body servant came riding down to the bank of the Potomac ... and one of the old Jesuit fathers from the mission on the Maryland side was found" while in May 1900 it was the Catholic priest Leonard Neale that was summoned to Mount Vernon. The Neale specific-story says that the night before his death, several of Washington's slaves were sent to
St. Thomas Manor St. Thomas Manor (1741) is a historic home and Catholic church complex located near Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland. Known as St. Ignatius Church and Cemetery, the manor house complex is the oldest continuously occupied Jesuit residence in ...
in
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
by rowboat, where they found Neale, the superior of the
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
manor. They ferried him to Mount Vernon, where he heard Washington's confession, conditionally baptized him, and received him into the Catholic Church. Martin I. J. Griffin, stated in a Catholic research publication that "the alleged visit of Father Neale was improbable" and that "nothing in Washington's life gives a basis for a belief in its probability." There is also the other religious conversion that is alleged to have taken place during the American Revolution. Washington was said to have been baptized as an adult in a full-immersion baptism by John Gano, a Baptist chaplain in the Continental Army. The baptism variously either took place in the Hudson River or perhaps in the Potomac River. Historian Mary V. Thompson discounts both the story of the Baptist immersion and of the Catholic deathbed conversion.


See also

*
Bibliography of George Washington This bibliography of George Washington is a selected list of written and published works about George Washington (1732–1799). A recent count has estimated the number of books about George Washington at some nine hundred; add scholarly articles ...
*
List of George Washington articles The following is a list of articles about (and largely involving) George Washington. Ancestry and childhood * Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington – father and mother of George Washington * Lawrence Washington (1718–1752) – ...
*
Religious affiliations of presidents of the United States The religious affiliations of presidents of the United States can affect their electability, shape their stances on policy matters and their visions of society and also how they want to lead it. Speculation of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, a ...


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * O'Keefe, Kieran J. "Faith before Creed: The Private and Public Religion of George Washington." ''Journal of Religious History'' 43.3 (2019): 400–418. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12607 * Thompson, Mary V. ''"In the Hands of a Good Providence": Religion in the Life of George Washington'', Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008.


Further reading

* Allen, Brooke, ''Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers'', Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2006, * Boller, Paul, ''George Washington & Religion'', Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1963, * Eidsmoe, John, ''Christianity and the Constitution'' (Grand Rapids, Missouri: Baker Books House Company, 1987) * Holmes, David L., ''The Faiths of the Founding Fathers'', Oxford University Press, 2006, . * Johnson, William J., ''George Washington the Christian,'' (Milford, Michigan: Mott Media 1919, 1976) * Lillback, Peter, ''George Washington's Sacred Fire'' (Providence Forum, 2006). * Lossing, Benson J., ''The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution'' (New York: Harper & Brothers, Franklin Square, 1859), Vol. II, p. 215. * Muñoz, Vincent Phillip. "George Washington on Religious Liberty" ''Review of Politics'' 2003 65(1): 11–33. ISSN 0034-6705 Fulltext online at Ebsco. * Novak, Michael ''On Two Wings: Humble Faith and Common Sense at the American Founding'' Encounter Books, 2003, * Peterson, Barbara Bennett. ''George Washington: America's Moral Exemplar'', 2005, . *''The Writings of George Washington'', Jared Sparks, editor (Boston: Ferdinand Andrews, Publisher, 1838), Vol. XII, pp. 399–411 *''The Religious Opinions of Washington'', E. C. M'Guire, editor (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1836). *''The Messages and Papers of the Presidents'', James D. Richardson, editor (Published by the Authority of Congress, 1899), Vol. I, pp. 51–57 (1789), 64 (1789), 213-224 (1796), etc.


Footnotes


External links


Was George Washington a Christian?
from
WallBuilders David Barton (born January 28, 1954) is an evangelical author and political activist for Christian nationalist causes. He is the founder of WallBuilders, LLC, a Texas-based organization that promotes pseudohistory about the religious basis of th ...

George Washington and Deism
from deist Bob Johnson

* ttp://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/george-washington-and-religion/ "George Washington and Religion"by George Tsakiridis in The George Washington Digital Encyclopedia
Last Will and Testament of George Washington
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, George Religious views Religious views by individual Religious views of presidents of the United States