James Madison was President of the United States from 1809-1817, which meant, among other things, that he ushered America through the War of 1812. Madison was born into a wealthy family and he matriculated through Princeton at an early age. However, when he graduated, he stayed in college for another year, and studied theology under John Witherspoon. Some writers have called Madison our "first graduate student," but his interest in theology didn't take hold, and he turned to politics in short order. He served in the Revolutionary War with honor, and he attended church whenever he was near home, Some of his biographers have called him a "deist." Others have maintained that he was a "model of orthodoxy," but it's hard to know what was in his mind or heart because, like mainline Christians of our own time, he didn't speak openly about his faith... and he certainly didn't talk about undergoing a conversion, or accepting Jesus as his personal Savior. All we know is that he attended church as a young man and that he spoke respectfully of the church throughout his lifetime.
In Madison's early years, the Church of England was the sanctioned church of Virginia and other denominations were not welcome. Indeed, when Presbyterians and others made Virginia their home, they were harassed and persecuted. Their ministers were even jailed from time to time, and this was especially true for the Baptists, whose form of worship did not suit the stoic Episcopalians. As a young man, Madison encountered a handful of Baptist ministers who were in jail just for being Baptist, and he was outraged. Indeed, he never got over the injustice of it, and he became a crusader for the separation of church and state. He worked tirelessly on this issue, and with Jefferson's help, it became law in Virginia and eventually in America. When Madison attended an open-air meeting at the Blue Run Church in 1771, he shared a worship experience with 5000 Baptists, and afterwards, he noted that, if one overlooked the emotional nature of their worship, it was actually "very orthodox." Madison was committed to separating church and state throughout his life, not by keeping prayer and church out of the public arena (as it is generally seen today), but by keeping the state from making any laws or taking any action that would infringe on the practice of religion.
We know a lot about Madison's work on matters of church and state, and we know that he was a "kind" slaveowner who never "mistreated any of his slaves," from a book that one of his slaves published after Madison's death. We also know that, even though he owned slaves, he was active in a movement to re-colonize them in Africa. But "being nice" to one's slaves does not make one a Christian... so let us consider what little evidence we have on Madison's christianity.
Evidence in Favor of Madison Being a Christian
1. He was baptized and relatively active in his Episcopalian church;
2. He said that religion was essential for "good order, good morals, and happiness;"
3. In a letter to a friend, Madison wrote, "(a) watchful eye must be kept on ourselves lest, while we are building ideal monuments here... we neglect to have our names enrolled in the annals of Heaven;"
4. In a comment that reminds me both of Camus' admonishment of Christians and also of the Biblical warning against n"lukewarmness," Madison noted, "I have often thought that there could not be a stronger testimony in favor of religion... than for men who occupy (important positions) and are rising in reputation and wealth, to publicly declare their unsatisfactoriness by becoming fervent advocates of the cause of Christ;"
5. When Madison was working on the Virginia Bill of Rights, he noted that, "It is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other;"
6. According to one of his pastors, Madison "always attended public worship in his neighborhood, spoke of religion with respect, invited ministers to his house, and had family prayers in his home (although he did not kneel)
Arguments Against Madison Being a Christian
1. Despite his baptism and church attendance (especially in his younger years), several of Madison's biographers believed that he was more of a "deist" in his heart and mind. Deism, which is the belief in a God who is not involved in human affairs and who can be found through reason, was popular among intellectuals at the time of our Revolution;
2. The lack of evidence about what he believed about God, Christ and Church... is too many people... evidence that he didn't believe much;
3. Episcopalian Bishop William Meade reported, "I was at Mr. Madison's house but once, and then our conversation took such a turn... as to call forth some (discussion) which left an impression on my mind that his creed was not strictly regulated by the Bible."
4. When Madison's friend and mentor, John Witherspoon, published a book of his sermons, several noted men of the time recommended it. The list included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Day, and many of Madison's peers from Princeton... but Madison himself did not subscribe to it.
Well, that's all we have on this President who championed religious freedom from state interference, but who said little about his own faith. Madison, it seems to me, was a Christian in exactly the same way that many mainline Christians are Christian to this day, but perhaps you disagree. Was the 4th President of the United States a Christian?
YES or NO
James Monroe was the last President who is grouped among our founding fathers by historians. He was baptized as an Episcopalian and attended St. John's Episcopal Church when he served as our President. In 1825, he dismissed Mordecai Noah from his position as consul to Tunis because Noah was Jewish, and when Noah formally protested, he received written support from Jefferson, Adams, and Madison. Records also show that a Presbyterian pastor in Albany, NY, said that Monroe, "lived and died as a second-rate Athenian philosopher," in 1832. It has been noted that, like those who preceded him, Monroe had deistic tendencies, but others have suggested that he "may" have believed in an interventionist God.
It's not much information, I know, but biographers have noted that, when it comes to religion, we know less about Monroe's faith than any other President. I looked for Monroe's quotes, but found none that a would even hint at his religious faith. We know that Washington, and to a greater extent, Adams and Jefferson, wrestled with their faith in some ways and left us a record of what their faith meant to them, whether we agree with it or not. Monroe doesn't seem to have done either and it is tempting to think that he didn't give faith, let alone discipleship, much thought. But what do you think? Was our 5th President (and the last of the Virginia dynasty) a Christian or not?
YES or NO
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