PRAISE FOR "AMERICAN GOSPEL"

"In his American Gospel, Jon Meacham provides a refreshingly clear, balanced and wise historical portrait of religion and American politics at exactly the moment when such fairness and understanding are much needed. Anyone who doubts the relevance of history to our own time has only to read this exceptional book." —David McCullough

"Jon Meacham is one of our country's most brilliant thinkers about religion's impact on American society. American Gospel is an original work of history that tells us much about the way we live today. In this scintillating and provocative book, Meacham reveals the often-hidden influence of religious belief on the Founding Fathers and on later generations of Americans up to our own. Today, as we argue more strenuously than ever about the proper place of religion in our politics and the rest of American life, Meacham's important book should serve as the touchstone of the debate." —Michael Beschloss

"Jon Meacham has given us an insightful and eloquent account of the spiritual foundation of the early days of the American Republic. It is especially instructive reading at a time when the nation is at once engaged and deeply divided on the question of religion and its place in public life." —Tom Brokaw

"At a time when faith and freedom seem increasingly polarized, American Gospel recovers our vital center—the middle ground where, historically, religion and public life strike a delicate balance. Well researched, well written, inspiring, and persuasive, this is a welcome addition to the literature." --Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor American Jewish History, Brandeis University, and author of American Judaism: A History

"An absorbing narrative full of vivid characters and fresh thinking, Jon Meacham's brilliantly lucid, passionately argued book offers a clear vision of the relationship of religion and politics in the United States: the good news about America, Meacham writes, is that 'God is central to this country's experience, but faith is a matter of choice, not coercion.' For me this book was nonstop reading." —Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion, Princeton University, and author of Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas

"Jon Meacham's reading is deep and wide, inspiring great confidence in the resulting text. His writing is graceful, forceful, and marked by sparkling clarity. Well beyond all this, however, his take on America's public religion is of critical importance in these divisive times; he offers both healing and hope." --Edwin S. Gaustad, emeritus professor of history, University of California, Riverside, and author of Faith of the Founders: Religion and the New Nation, 1776-1826

>> BUY THE BOOK

Reviews:

- America Magazine

- USA Today

- Washington Post

- New York Review of Books