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America's Providential History
This is a history of America with special attention to the influence of Christianity on its development. After some chapters of a chronological nature the book also discusses some of the important areas of culture such as family, church, education, government and more, with special emphasis on a Biblical worldview for each. It is great for schools, home-schooling, and general audiences. It is not boring history, but rather an exciting story of the hand of God in the shaping of nations, and the exceptional character of the United States in world history.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1989
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September 9, 2016Steeped in American exceptionalism and fundamentalist dogma, this book is terrible. Here is my attempt to slog through "America's Providential History:"
page vii - viii: The Introduction
"Since God is the author of history and He is carrying out His plan in the earth through history, any view of the history of America, or any country, that ignores God is not true history."
I wondered how long it would take the book to call history "His Story," and my wondering came to an abrupt end in the third sentence of the Introduction. By narrowly defining history as that which talks about God, the authors have made the stunning decision to dismiss the vast majority of history writing. It is not so stunning, I suppose, for a book titled "America's Providential History" to claim to have sole access to the truth of history. It does, however, lead to the perplexing question of how such a historiography would be constructed. If all causes are traced back to God, then how much weight are the more prosaic causes given? If the mind of God is unknowable, how can any historian claim to know God's plan and then apply this plan to their history writing? Will any of these questions be addressed by the authors?
Claim 1:
The providential view of history was held by the vast majority of people who founded the United States of America.
No footnotes are provided for this claim. Since the majority of America's founders were Deists, the idea of a God directly intervening in human affairs would have been anathema to them. To call them Christians is not inaccurate, since Deism and Christianity are compatible. However, the majority of the founders would not have held to any kind of providential view of history and would have disagreed with predestination.
Claim 2:
Colonial Americans were educated far better by the home, church, and private sector than our youth today are by modern state schools, and at a fraction of the cost.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. The American education system is pretty abysmal, but literacy rates now are much higher than in colonial America - even if you are only counting white males. And herein lies the problem - black Americans were almost completely illiterate while the literacy rates among colonial women was much lower than literacy rates among white colonial males. This seems like a flimsy argument for homeschooling more than any kind of accurate history.
Claim 3:
A great majority of America's founders were Christians.
This depends entirely on how you define a Christian. I do believe that a majority of America's founders were Christians - just not the type of Christians that the fundamentalists who wrote this book would approve of. The Christian Deists who refuse the Lord's Supper or who deny the divinity of Christ and Christian Deists who do not believe in a personal God who is involved in human history probably do not qualify as Orthodox Christians. Unitarians, such as John Adams, would probably be rejected outright as Christians by the authors of this book if presented in any other context other than as a founding father. The founders of the United States were revolutionaries who strongly advocated for the separation of church and state. This book seems to be advocating for a presentism that tries to anachronistically insert the same thoughts and beliefs that their specific branch of evangelical Christianity advocates into the hearts of America's founders.
Claim 4
Modern secular texts provide plenty of unfounded criticism of America's leaders, so this text will only provide the positive, to provide a balance.
These authors do not appear to understand what balance is. Since your book is entirely dismissive of secular texts, how is it possible that balance is provided? If you have removed the weight from one side of the scale, there can be no balance. If you write hagiography it is no more balanced than if you write a heavy-handed critique.
Claim 5:
"He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of primitive Christianity shall change the face of the world." - Benjamin Franklin.
This is a false attribution. Jacques Mallen du Pan, a political opponent of Franklin's and a royalist propagandist in France wrote that Franklin held this view. The view espoused by this quotation, I might add, is a view entirely at odds with Franklin's documented belief in the separation of church and state. A later 1860 source quoted Du Pan, but his left the quotation ambiguous enough that it seemed that Franklin might have said it. This was later translated and attributed to Franklin directly by George Bancroft (1866). This was later quoted in Samuel Arthur Bent's "Familiar Short Sayings of Great Men" (1887), from which it became accepted as a Franklin quote. These authors have accepted it a quotation from Franklin's mouth without bothering to do the actual work of an historian and complete a full investigation of the primary sources (sources they claim to value so highly). Shoddy.
Chapter 1
The first chapter begins with the same dubious quote from Benjamin Franklin that closed the introduction - not a strong start.
This follows with the authors laying bare the purpose of this book, which is not to inform or to search for historical truth but to "equip Christians to be able to introduce Biblical principles into the public affairs of America, and every nation in the world, and in so doing bring Godly change throughout the world." This is not a history textbook, but a book of propaganda and ideological drivel designed to proselytise.
The basic problem with this ideological approach is soon demonstrated in the book's treatment of the entire continent of Africa. The Bible, it is claimed, has the ability to liberate nations from oppression. Africa was 1% Christian in 1900 and 50% Christian by 1988 (I am not sure of this statistic, or how Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Christians might be accounted for in 1900). According to the authors, very few Africans lived in liberated countries in 1988. Why? Because the gospel presented by missionaries was internal and personal rather than offering Biblical answers . . . wait, what?
By separating the continent of Africa from its history of European colonialism and American, European, and Soviet postcolonialism, this presentation has effectively divorced itself from reality. The nations which oppressed and pillaged the African continent no longer have any personal responsibility for their actions. Despots and rebels are not the fault of those foreign governments who funded them. Instead, the sole causal reason for instability and injustice in the continent of Africa is bad Biblical teaching.
I have to stop here, because I am angry.
page vii - viii: The Introduction
"Since God is the author of history and He is carrying out His plan in the earth through history, any view of the history of America, or any country, that ignores God is not true history."
I wondered how long it would take the book to call history "His Story," and my wondering came to an abrupt end in the third sentence of the Introduction. By narrowly defining history as that which talks about God, the authors have made the stunning decision to dismiss the vast majority of history writing. It is not so stunning, I suppose, for a book titled "America's Providential History" to claim to have sole access to the truth of history. It does, however, lead to the perplexing question of how such a historiography would be constructed. If all causes are traced back to God, then how much weight are the more prosaic causes given? If the mind of God is unknowable, how can any historian claim to know God's plan and then apply this plan to their history writing? Will any of these questions be addressed by the authors?
Claim 1:
The providential view of history was held by the vast majority of people who founded the United States of America.
No footnotes are provided for this claim. Since the majority of America's founders were Deists, the idea of a God directly intervening in human affairs would have been anathema to them. To call them Christians is not inaccurate, since Deism and Christianity are compatible. However, the majority of the founders would not have held to any kind of providential view of history and would have disagreed with predestination.
Claim 2:
Colonial Americans were educated far better by the home, church, and private sector than our youth today are by modern state schools, and at a fraction of the cost.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. The American education system is pretty abysmal, but literacy rates now are much higher than in colonial America - even if you are only counting white males. And herein lies the problem - black Americans were almost completely illiterate while the literacy rates among colonial women was much lower than literacy rates among white colonial males. This seems like a flimsy argument for homeschooling more than any kind of accurate history.
Claim 3:
A great majority of America's founders were Christians.
This depends entirely on how you define a Christian. I do believe that a majority of America's founders were Christians - just not the type of Christians that the fundamentalists who wrote this book would approve of. The Christian Deists who refuse the Lord's Supper or who deny the divinity of Christ and Christian Deists who do not believe in a personal God who is involved in human history probably do not qualify as Orthodox Christians. Unitarians, such as John Adams, would probably be rejected outright as Christians by the authors of this book if presented in any other context other than as a founding father. The founders of the United States were revolutionaries who strongly advocated for the separation of church and state. This book seems to be advocating for a presentism that tries to anachronistically insert the same thoughts and beliefs that their specific branch of evangelical Christianity advocates into the hearts of America's founders.
Claim 4
Modern secular texts provide plenty of unfounded criticism of America's leaders, so this text will only provide the positive, to provide a balance.
These authors do not appear to understand what balance is. Since your book is entirely dismissive of secular texts, how is it possible that balance is provided? If you have removed the weight from one side of the scale, there can be no balance. If you write hagiography it is no more balanced than if you write a heavy-handed critique.
Claim 5:
"He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of primitive Christianity shall change the face of the world." - Benjamin Franklin.
This is a false attribution. Jacques Mallen du Pan, a political opponent of Franklin's and a royalist propagandist in France wrote that Franklin held this view. The view espoused by this quotation, I might add, is a view entirely at odds with Franklin's documented belief in the separation of church and state. A later 1860 source quoted Du Pan, but his left the quotation ambiguous enough that it seemed that Franklin might have said it. This was later translated and attributed to Franklin directly by George Bancroft (1866). This was later quoted in Samuel Arthur Bent's "Familiar Short Sayings of Great Men" (1887), from which it became accepted as a Franklin quote. These authors have accepted it a quotation from Franklin's mouth without bothering to do the actual work of an historian and complete a full investigation of the primary sources (sources they claim to value so highly). Shoddy.
Chapter 1
The first chapter begins with the same dubious quote from Benjamin Franklin that closed the introduction - not a strong start.
This follows with the authors laying bare the purpose of this book, which is not to inform or to search for historical truth but to "equip Christians to be able to introduce Biblical principles into the public affairs of America, and every nation in the world, and in so doing bring Godly change throughout the world." This is not a history textbook, but a book of propaganda and ideological drivel designed to proselytise.
The basic problem with this ideological approach is soon demonstrated in the book's treatment of the entire continent of Africa. The Bible, it is claimed, has the ability to liberate nations from oppression. Africa was 1% Christian in 1900 and 50% Christian by 1988 (I am not sure of this statistic, or how Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Christians might be accounted for in 1900). According to the authors, very few Africans lived in liberated countries in 1988. Why? Because the gospel presented by missionaries was internal and personal rather than offering Biblical answers . . . wait, what?
By separating the continent of Africa from its history of European colonialism and American, European, and Soviet postcolonialism, this presentation has effectively divorced itself from reality. The nations which oppressed and pillaged the African continent no longer have any personal responsibility for their actions. Despots and rebels are not the fault of those foreign governments who funded them. Instead, the sole causal reason for instability and injustice in the continent of Africa is bad Biblical teaching.
I have to stop here, because I am angry.
September 15, 2020
Hands-down the most influential book I’ve read this year. I feel I’ve gone from about a two up to a seven in my understanding of the how and why our republic was formed. The band of men who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the notion that they could make “out the many, one” and form a free country where people would be able to worship their God freely through the ages, were clearly men of God- not perfect men, but men humble enough to kneel before their Creator and “turn imploringly to heaven for divine interposition”. This is one to revisit frequently and to bribe, beg or demand your high school kids read.
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January 11, 2008Just your run-of-the-mill fundamentalist penned, right-wing Christian history textbook!
June 26, 2012
This is not what I thought it would be!! I picked it up for a quarter at a library book sale thinking it would be about God's, well, Providence in our history. I was shocked by the many assertions in the beginning of the book: page 35 "We will see that the American colonists were not in rebellion from God's perspective." page 38 "As the centuries went on, the church gradually lost its virtue and Biblical knowledge..." page 39 Constantine, who ended Christian persecution and made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, "hindered the work of God for centuries to follow in an era which became known as the "Dark Ages."
The author also seems to take for granted that the Celtic Church was the same as the modern American Protestant denominations. And of course the Catholic Church is in league with the devil, page 57.
After reading a bit, I began to research "Providential History." I did not realize that it is a fairly definite set of beliefs that go far beyond God's Will and his plan in our lives. "Providential History" defines what God's Will is and how it will be accomplished.
The author also seems to take for granted that the Celtic Church was the same as the modern American Protestant denominations. And of course the Catholic Church is in league with the devil, page 57.
After reading a bit, I began to research "Providential History." I did not realize that it is a fairly definite set of beliefs that go far beyond God's Will and his plan in our lives. "Providential History" defines what God's Will is and how it will be accomplished.
June 16, 2018
For the most part, I enjoyed this book because it's filled with quotations from the founding fathers and other important Americans about our country's biblical heritage. However, every now and then the authors' opinions seemed off. I especially questioned the chapter called "Providential Geography." I agree that God's Providence can be seen in geography but not in the way this chapter indicates. Some odd concepts in this chapter include the idea that God intended Christianity and liberty to spread around the world in a westward direction and the idea that God intended the northern hemisphere to contain the continents of history and the southern hemisphere to contain the continents of nature.
You'll have to chew the meat but spit out the bones if you read this book.
You'll have to chew the meat but spit out the bones if you read this book.
September 7, 2017
This is a great book for Christians to read about early American history. It really goes into detail about a lot of good things that well know Christian figures did and the work that the Lord can do in people's lives. It is an inspiring book, I definitely learned a lot.
April 25, 2022
This was a hard read for me. It had a lot of good information, some that I had never heard before. But the Old English that was prevalent made for slow processing. Worth the read, but I think the points could have been come to quicker, 20 pages chapters were hard to chew.
January 24, 2022
Too much like a textbook. If you can get through it, it's good information.
June 7, 2020
Very interesting. Learned quite a bit about history that I did not know.
September 22, 2024
I loved this book. Over the last century, the hand of God in our nations history has been slowly erased in our schools and narratives. Mark Beliles provides detailed evidence on the beliefs of our nations founders and the many examples of a people who depended on God and gave Him credit for our successes. He also describes how this happened and the intentional steps we need to take to undo this damage.
May 7, 2022
This should be required reading in school. The book lays out the importance of our founding fathers having a Biblical worldview, even if they were not a Christian, in creating a nation that provided individual liberty and put the power of governance in the people. Even if this is not your view, it is valuable to know the viewpoint of those that founded our country, the first of it’s kind in history.
The book explains how this was able to occur going back to Martin Luther. Lots of great quotes by our founding fathers, and good explanation of why the founding fathers built in the balance of power, not only among the three branches of the federal government, but also between the federal government and the individual states.
Benjamin Franklin, speaking to the Constitutional Convention at the point it had reached an impasse: “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire van rise without his aid? We have ben assured in the Sacred Writings that ‘except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it (Psalm 127:1).”
The book explains how this was able to occur going back to Martin Luther. Lots of great quotes by our founding fathers, and good explanation of why the founding fathers built in the balance of power, not only among the three branches of the federal government, but also between the federal government and the individual states.
Benjamin Franklin, speaking to the Constitutional Convention at the point it had reached an impasse: “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire van rise without his aid? We have ben assured in the Sacred Writings that ‘except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it (Psalm 127:1).”
January 17, 2024
This book is a compelling exploration of the role of divine providence in the shaping of American history. Published in 1989, the book provides a unique perspective that challenges conventional historical narratives by asserting the influence of Christian beliefs and values on the founding and development of the United States.
The authors propose that America's history is intricately connected to a divine plan, emphasizing the role of faith, morality, and divine intervention in key events. They contend that the Founding Fathers were not merely influenced by Enlightenment ideas but were deeply rooted in a Christian worldview that significantly shaped the nation's principles and institutions.
One of the strengths of the book lies in its detailed examination of historical documents, speeches, and writings of prominent figures from American history. The authors draw extensively from primary sources to support their thesis, providing readers with a wealth of material to consider and evaluate. This historical depth adds credibility to their claims and offers a nuanced understanding of the religious context of the time.
America's Providential History also excels in its presentation of the idea of American exceptionalism. The authors assert that the United States has a unique and special role in God's plan, and this perspective has influenced the nation's development and its approach to governance. This theme resonates strongly with readers who embrace a faith-based perspective on history.
The US Constitution was a revolutionary document. No country on earth had ever been formed based upon a document such as this. Nearly all of the national constitutions now in use worldwide bear the marks of the 55 men who met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to create the framework of the United States government. They also spell out human and civil rights similar to those contained in the U.S. document. A bill of rights is particularly common. The principles of American constitutionalism--the separation of powers, the Bill of Rights, a bicameral legislature, and a presidential form of government--were followed by many nations. The authors believe that this was at least in part a result of divine providence.
However, this does not excuse the terrible pain and suffering that the US government inflicted upon the native Americans people and culture. Just because God may have had a plan for America does not mean that it was fulfilled.
Overall, a though-provoking read.
The authors propose that America's history is intricately connected to a divine plan, emphasizing the role of faith, morality, and divine intervention in key events. They contend that the Founding Fathers were not merely influenced by Enlightenment ideas but were deeply rooted in a Christian worldview that significantly shaped the nation's principles and institutions.
One of the strengths of the book lies in its detailed examination of historical documents, speeches, and writings of prominent figures from American history. The authors draw extensively from primary sources to support their thesis, providing readers with a wealth of material to consider and evaluate. This historical depth adds credibility to their claims and offers a nuanced understanding of the religious context of the time.
America's Providential History also excels in its presentation of the idea of American exceptionalism. The authors assert that the United States has a unique and special role in God's plan, and this perspective has influenced the nation's development and its approach to governance. This theme resonates strongly with readers who embrace a faith-based perspective on history.
The US Constitution was a revolutionary document. No country on earth had ever been formed based upon a document such as this. Nearly all of the national constitutions now in use worldwide bear the marks of the 55 men who met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to create the framework of the United States government. They also spell out human and civil rights similar to those contained in the U.S. document. A bill of rights is particularly common. The principles of American constitutionalism--the separation of powers, the Bill of Rights, a bicameral legislature, and a presidential form of government--were followed by many nations. The authors believe that this was at least in part a result of divine providence.
However, this does not excuse the terrible pain and suffering that the US government inflicted upon the native Americans people and culture. Just because God may have had a plan for America does not mean that it was fulfilled.
Overall, a though-provoking read.
December 3, 2008
I'm trying so hard to get through this book. But I don't like it much at all. Since so many homeschoolers use it I wanted to know what was in it so I could more accurately discuss the merits/shortcomings of the book. It's work right now though....I'll keep at it and let you know what I think when I get to the end.
-------
Okay, I quit. I read about half of it and I dreaded picking it up so decided that I could better use my time elsewhere. Now as to why this was such a chore....
First, this is not a history book. This is a discussion of why we need Christian education in our country and a review of how God and/or Christianity shaped this nation. The authors used snippets of historical documents to prove a point and short biographies of important persons, but it was not a smooth flowing history. At all.
Second, the authors made a lot of opinionated statements about certain men or events. I like my history to be a bit more 'just the facts, ma'am' and allow ME to decide how I feel about it. They used overly gushing language for many things and it started to grate.
Third, I felt that many times the authors figured I was stupid and had to spell things out and make connections for me. The problem was I had either already made the connection a few pages back or I thought their conclusion was faulty or unsubstantiated. I don't even talk this way to my children let alone other adults so it was a tad offensive.
Fourth, the writing was dull and lifeless. There was no excitement.
Fifth, I just still can't get over the disappointment that this isn't a history book. There might be a page or two of disjointed history then several pages of discussion on the Chain of Liberty or other such lingo.
Overall I was very disappointed in this book. But the picture on the cover sure is lovely!
-------
Okay, I quit. I read about half of it and I dreaded picking it up so decided that I could better use my time elsewhere. Now as to why this was such a chore....
First, this is not a history book. This is a discussion of why we need Christian education in our country and a review of how God and/or Christianity shaped this nation. The authors used snippets of historical documents to prove a point and short biographies of important persons, but it was not a smooth flowing history. At all.
Second, the authors made a lot of opinionated statements about certain men or events. I like my history to be a bit more 'just the facts, ma'am' and allow ME to decide how I feel about it. They used overly gushing language for many things and it started to grate.
Third, I felt that many times the authors figured I was stupid and had to spell things out and make connections for me. The problem was I had either already made the connection a few pages back or I thought their conclusion was faulty or unsubstantiated. I don't even talk this way to my children let alone other adults so it was a tad offensive.
Fourth, the writing was dull and lifeless. There was no excitement.
Fifth, I just still can't get over the disappointment that this isn't a history book. There might be a page or two of disjointed history then several pages of discussion on the Chain of Liberty or other such lingo.
Overall I was very disappointed in this book. But the picture on the cover sure is lovely!
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May 24, 2012
Great resource book.
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