The founding fathers were deists, not evangelical Christians

Evidence

I distinctly remember the day, when discussing various founding fathers, Dr. Lambert said that while some were religious in their own right—many were deists, believing in a Creator God, who could be understood via reason—the founding fathers were certainly not “evangelical Christians.” … In this moment, a key in my mind slid into place, cleanly releasing a previously locked door. In one instant, an expert in early US religious history justified the questions I had about the relationship between Christianity and the founding period. The present and past had a much more complicated and circuitous relationship. Things were not so cut and dried. — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 61

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies that deism, not evangelical Christianity, characterized the founding generation’s religious outlook.
• XREF: Connects to scholarly debates on the religious beliefs of America’s founders. — connects to: The United States was not founded as an explicitly Christian nation — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 115; The founding fathers held diverse religious views and drew on secular sources — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian…, 38; The Christian-nation founding story contradicts documented history (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• The United States was not founded as an explicitly Christian nation #corroborates (0.88) — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 115
• The founding fathers held diverse religious views and drew on secular sources #expands (0.85) — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross, 38
• The Christian-nation founding story contradicts documented history #corroborates (0.85)
• America’s founders created the first secular republic. #corroborates (0.80) — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers, 509