950 plus pages, heavily footnoted, work to reveal George Washington's faith and belief in Providence. A massive work, this book has a purpose, a purpose that is important in today's America, and its ongoing Culture War. Secular humanists invaded the halls of academia and have worked hard to erase American history. The statues falling now, are mere echos of classroom "fake history" taught in many, if not most American colleges. This book is heavily footnoted and is an eye opening account of Washington's Christian character.

Over the years I have read many biographies of George Washington but I guess what sets this book apart from the others is the author’s research into George Washington’s religious views, personal history, and his personal writings. The author leaves no doubt that Washington was not only a god fearing Christian man but the only man worthy to lead a young nation out of the grips of the British Empire. It’s my opinion that this book should surely be a must read for anyone who wants to learn about one of the finest president’s this nation has ever had and the period in which George Washington lived during the Revolutionary War.

The important thing about this book is that it certainly clears the air for those who think they understand separation of church and state but don't. The opportunity for our nation's leaders to pray in public, go to church, or make references to the providence and God is a completely different thing from persecuting people because of what they believe. Washington regularly deferred to the providence of God. Leading his soldiers in prayer, both of hope and thanks. Whether or not Washington went to church every week and took communion is not of any relevance to me. I'm sure that even as a Christian, Washington could not make it to church every single time while fighting for independence and leading the nation in it's very first years.

This could have been a 5. I just saw it in my bookshelf but it has been a while since I read it. I remember really liking it and it was a definite 'keeper'.

This book is not for everyone to read. 5 stars strictly goes to the enormous effort the authors took to carefully construct Washington’s character using predominantly Washington’s own writings. 5 stars also to the preservation of true history. Remember this:

“Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past” George Orwell

This is a defense of some current ideas about George Washington not being a Christian. Fascinating and uplifting read. The last 1/3 of the book is only footnotes and other appendicies.

This 2006 release and national best seller from Peter Lillback and Jerry Newcombe was written for just one purpose: to answer the question, “was George Washington a Christian or not?” The authors remind us of that purpose in every chapter, if not every page. Enough already! We get it!

It took Lillback and Newcombe 725 pages to answer the question. That’s not counting the 458 pages of appendix, end notes and index. This is a monster book to read! Not only is its mere size intimidating to the casual reader, but, the authors quote Washington and his contemporaries over and over and over again, using the very same quotations. There is an awful lot of duplicate and repetitious material here. The other snooze factor with this work is the fact that 99 percent of the quotations are nearly incomprehensible because of the archaic nature of the stilted language of the colonial period. Not to mention the fact that no one ever seemed to use a period, but every sentence is strung together by an endless parade of commas and phrases which form one very long paragraph. This is very tough and ponderous reading.

I think Lillback and Newcombe created this monstrous work for two reasons: to intimidate Washington’s critics by the sheer volume of their material to overwhelm them with facts, in an attempt to browbeat them into admitting Washington’s Christianity. The second reason is, they intended this to be a source book for future historians to use in analyzing the contribution of America’s founding father. For revisionist historian Paul Boller and others like him, this is an in-your-face weapon.

But, even Lillback and Newcombe admit, their own 1187-page analysis of our first president may not be enough. As they summarized on page 720, “Those who demand and require a Deist Washington will never be satisfied with Washington’s own words . . . They will simply refuse to allow their historically unfounded faith to be enlightened by the very words of Washington. To such close-minded secularists . . . his heartfelt words do not matter. . . . Their view of Washington will not be altered even by the primary sources---the very words of Washington himself.”

Excellent, thoroughly researched book proving that George Washington was in fact a Christian, not a deist as some modern authors incorrectly state.

Seems to be thoroughly researched and well written content. Amazing testimony of the hand of God in this great leader.

This work is meticulously researched (400 pages of text notes alone!), but often reads more like a reference work than a spiritual biography--very repetitive: The book's 700 pages of text could have been cut to 400 without leaving out any of the author's points!

The American people are experiencing a grass-roots level rediscovery of who they are as a nation. It turns out that the people have been discovering that the text books from which they were taught at school had been tampered with, to the point that relatively few of them now know very much that’s factual about the beliefs held by their founding fathers.

The good news is that there is now a hunger for truth sweeping America. Her people have a renewed interest in the beliefs of those who signed the Declaration of Independence and were involved in writing the Constitution. It is good to see that God has not deserted America in that we are seeing His people there beginning to throw off the atheistic shackles of Secular Humanism with its attendant free-speech stifling Political Correctness.

As America recovers from her bout of amnesia a proliferation of books are appearing, books that restore her neglected Christian heritage, books that remove the distortions of decades of misguided social engineering.

One book coming out of this rebellion against historical revisionism is George Washington’s Sacred Fire by Peter A Lillback with Jerry Newcombe.

Sacred Fire comprises of some 1187 pages. It is well sourced from original documents and the endnotes themselves could fill a book! Gone is the Secular Humanist’s misleading portrayal of George Washington as some sort of vague Deist. From his own mouth and pen Washington's Sacred Fire is solely and purely the Triune God who alone gives true liberty. Lillback irrefutably demonstrates that Washington was a dedicated follower of the GodMan Jesus Christ.

I was particularly interested in Washington’s insistence on Chaplains in his army. Says Lillback,

“George Washington insisted on godly conduct and leadership in his army. He did not permit swearing, cursing, or drunkenness, which might impede rather than implore the ‘blessings of Heaven.’ Precisely a year before America’s Declaration of Independence was dated, Washington’s general orders declared,

"The General most earnestly requires, and expects, a due observance of those articles of war, established for the Government of the army, which forbid profane cursing, swearing and drunkenness; And in like manner requires and expects, of all Officers, and Soldiers, not engaged on actual duty, a punctual attendance on divine Service, to implore the blessings of heaven upon the means used for our safety and defence.

"Precisely to help engender such a standard from his Christian soldiers, Washington instituted chaplains in the Revolutionary Army:

"The Hon. Continental Congress having been pleased to allow a Chaplain to each Regiment, with the pay of Thirty-three Dollars and one third pr month—The Colonels or commanding officers of each regiment are directed to procure Chaplains accordingly; persons of good Characters and exemplary lives—To see that all inferior officers and soldiers pay them a suitable respect and attend carefully upon religious exercises. The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary but especially so in times of public distress and danger—The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country.



"But Washington’s understanding of the value of chaplains did not begin with the Revolutionary army. In fact, when he was a young soldier, George Washington found himself in disagreement with his employer, the governor of Virginia, over the issue of chaplains. The young man, only in his twenties, was earnestly seeking chaplains to be a built-in part of the army (at the time, it was the British Army).” (Sacred Fire, p. 181-2)

Let’s pray that the Sacred Fire that ignited the passion for the individual’s liberty from oppression from Pope or Prince or Government at the time of the founding of America will burn in the hearts of her people once more. For that Sacred Fire is Truth that glows in the dark. It is a liberating Liberty, the kind of freedom that is found only in Washington’s God and in His Son Jesus Christ who died and rose again to set us free. Jesus Christ is the Truth. He alone sets us truly free.

Pray therefore that the Holy Spirit will continue the work He has begun. That America, that great Christian experiment, may no longer suffer collective amnesia brought on by a bout of insidious Secular Humanism, but rediscover who she is, a people whose rights and liberties come from God, a nation built upon the Bible.

Though huge, this book was very informative. There was so much about Washington that I did not know and thus he has become a great hero to me.