God Bless America: A Captivating Account of the Role of Religion in Founding the United States

“Carefully reviewing events from 1500 AD to 1830 AD, Coddington and Chapman provide a persuasive list of examples of how they believe God favorably intervened in the establishment of the United States. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with their arguments, you will be amazed at the number of times the margin between victory and defeat was determined by factors totally outside human control.” —C. Craig Williford, PhD, president, Denver Seminary With the deep division in the United States today over religion and politics, the question of religion’s decisive role in shaping America’s founding and heritage remains a pivotal one. Dean Coddington and Richard Chapman bring a unique and highly informative contribution to this ongoing dialogue by examining religion’s influence on early American history through such tools as probability analysis. Coddington and Chapman question whether religion and a desire for independence worked together to establish and sustain early America. They explore the connection through their comprehensive summaries of the American Revolution, the first six presidencies, the Louisiana Purchase, and other historically significant events up until 1830. They also take a closer look at an often-overshadowed component in the equation: the first and second Great Awakenings, religious revivals that effectively changed America’s culture. With detailed examples, documented evidence, and thoughtful conclusions, God Bless America is a powerful addition to the growing collection of literature on this controversial topic.