Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? | ft. Dr. Brook Wilensky-Lanford

Historians often face the decision of where to begin the narrative of American religious history. While many start with the Pilgrims in 1620, focusing on Protestant denominations, Dr. Brooke Winsky Lanford, in her book "A God-shaped Nation," argues for a much earlier and broader starting point. She contends that significant religious histories, including those of Muslims and indigenous religions, predate European arrival and are often excluded from traditional narratives that serve a national origin myth. Lanford's approach begins with the Spanish conquests in the early 1500s, emphasizing the complex and often overlooked religious encounters that shaped the continent. Lanford's chosen starting point, 1495, features a pivotal encounter between Spanish colonial forces and the indigenous Taino people on Hispaniola. During a battle where the Spanish were outnumbered, a Marian apparition was reportedly seen, which the Spanish attributed to divine intervention for their victory. Lanford highlights this event as emblematic of power dynamics in religious history, where the victors claim divine favor. This contrasts with the reality of colonialism, where indigenous religions were suppressed. This theme of unequal power in religious encounters, involving indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans, and various European groups, permeates Lanford's five-hundred-year historical scope, leading up to the founding of the nation. A concrete example of religion and power, as discussed by Lanford, is the traditional Thanksgiving story involving Squanto. The popular narrative portrays Squanto as a helpful figure who aided the Pilgrims, suggesting a harmonious cooperation. However, Lanford reveals a more complex and tragic backstory for Squanto, whose indigenous name was Tquantum. Captured and enslaved by the Spanish and later the English, Tquantum gained proficiency in English and indigenous languages. He had traveled extensively along the East Coast before returning to his homeland, only to find his village decimated by European diseases. Tquantum's survival and unique linguistic skills allowed him to work with the colonists, but it also isolated him from his own community, illustrating the profound disruption caused by European contact. Lanford challenges the common notion that the Puritans came to America for religious freedom. She explains that the Plymouth colony, in particular, had already fled England for the Netherlands, where they enjoyed religious tolerance. Their migration was driven more by a desire for a new opportunity and the freedom to practice their specific form of Protestantism without interference, rather than a quest for universal religious liberty. The Puritans, especially in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, established a religiously exclusive society. Dissenters who challenged their strict theological and social order, such as Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and Mary Dyer, were expelled or, in the case of Quakers like Mary Dyer, executed. This demonstrates that their concept of religious freedom was limited to their own community and did not extend to others, highlighting theocratic tendencies of early Puritan settlements. The historical landscape of early America reveals a stark contrast in approaches to religious governance. While colonies like Connecticut and Massachusetts were essentially theocracies, others offered more pluralistic environments. Rhode Island, founded by Roger Williams, was established as a sanctuary for religious freedom with no coercion. Similarly, New York, settled by the Dutch Reformed, was tolerant of various faiths, and Pennsylvania, under William Penn, a Quaker, actively sought to integrate diverse religious groups. These less insular approaches, Lanford suggests, were more influential in shaping contemporary ideas of religious freedom than the Puritan model. Lanford also re-examines the concept of the separation of church and state, challenging the idea that it was solely a secular, Enlightenment-driven principle. She points to figures like Roger Williams and William Penn, who were deeply religious individuals advocating for religious freedom. In colonial Virginia, a different dynamic emerged. While Anglicans were aligned with the state, growing Baptist communities faced persecution for preaching without Anglican licenses. It was these Baptists, along with Enlightenment-influenced figures like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who championed religious freedom. This alliance between religiously motivated dissenters and secularly-minded founders, Lanford argues, demonstrates that religious conviction was as instrumental as secular philosophy in establishing the separation of church and state. The principle of separation of church and state, Lanford asserts, protects everyone, including religious individuals and non-religious people. It prevents the state from legislating religious belief and ensures that individuals are not harassed for their faith, or lack thereof. She identifies two competing visions of religious freedom in American history: the "Puritan vision," which is exclusive and for a select group, and the "pluralist vision," which is inclusive and protective of all religious beliefs. The latter, she notes, was predominant for much of American history, allowing for state protection regardless of theological conviction, including for atheists. However, in recent decades, particularly since the rise of the religious right in the 1980s and rulings like Hobby Lobby in the 2010s, the Puritan vision has re-emerged. This "religious freedom for me, but not for thee" approach, often rooted in Christian nationalism, prioritizes the freedom of a specific version of Christianity, sometimes at the expense of others and even non-religious individuals. Lanford firmly refutes the notion that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. She argues that Christian nationalists often misrepresent early American history by projecting modern interpretations of Christianity onto the founders. While many founders were Christian, their vision for the nation was not based on a specific religious doctrine but on principles of democracy and representative government enshrined in founding documents. She distinguishes between a descriptive statement (America has historically had a large Christian population) and a prescriptive one (America should be a Christian nation). The latter, she warns, is dangerous as it marginalizes non-Christians and those with differing interpretations of Christianity. Furthermore, she points out that the concept of "Christian nation" often relies on a particular, narrow definition of Christianity that downplays the heterodox views of some founders like Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine. Zooming out to view five centuries of American religious history, Lanford identifies recurring patterns. She notes cyclical panics about the decline of religion and the rise of secularism or opposing faiths, as well as a constant need for religious revival. A more significant pattern, however, is the ongoing conflict between the exclusive "Puritan vision" of religious freedom and the inclusive "pluralist vision." This struggle manifests in recurring fears of theocracy and authoritarianism, met with resistance from those advocating for broader freedoms. Lanford draws inspiration from Reverend William Barber's concept of "reconstruction" as a pattern of societal expansion, where marginalized groups—African Americans, immigrants, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals—are progressively integrated into the national fabric, often through cycles of struggle and backlash. She sees the Civil Rights Movement as a second reconstruction and believes we may be at a pivotal moment, potentially leading to a third, more inclusive reconstruction. Lanford emphasizes that religion is a permanent and pervasive force in American history, always present in the background, influencing conversations and actions. She argues that understanding religion's role is crucial for everyone, regardless of their personal religious beliefs, especially for those who do not consider themselves religious. Her book aims to demonstrate that religion is an integral part of American history, akin to philosophy, art, or economics, and that ignoring it leads to an incomplete understanding of the nation's development. She encourages a willingness to engage with the "imagination of religion" as part of a collective identity, even if it doesn't align with one's personal beliefs. This engagement, she suggests, is essential for critically understanding and reckoning with religion's presence in American society.