Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father
Thomas S. Kidd
May 2017 · Highbridge Audio · Narrated by Tom Perkins
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9 hr 53 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
Renowned as a printer, scientist, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin also published more works on religious topics than any other eighteenth-century American layperson. Born to Boston Puritans, by his teenage years Franklin had abandoned the exclusive Christian faith of his family and embraced deism. But Franklin, as a man of faith, was far more complex than the “thorough deist” who emerges in his autobiography. As Thomas Kidd reveals, deist writers influenced Franklin's beliefs, to be sure, but devout Christians in his life—including George Whitefield, the era's greatest evangelical preacher; his parents; and his beloved sister Jane—kept him tethered to the Calvinist creed of his Puritan upbringing. Based on rigorous research into Franklin’s voluminous correspondence, essays, and almanacs, this fresh assessment of a well-known figure unpacks the contradictions and conundrums faith presented in Franklin's life.
About the author
Thomas S. Kidd teaches history at Baylor University. He regularly contributes for outlets such as WORLD Magazine, the Washington Post, and USA Today. His recent books include George Whitefield: America's Spiritual Founding Father; and Baptists in America: A History, with co-author Barry Hankins.
An award-winning audio engineer for over forty years, Tom Perkins has expanded his skills to narrating and has more than sixty titles to his credit. He learned by working with the world's best voice talent during his career, and he continues to engineer a variety of projects.
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