Before I write anything regarding this book let me say that I am glad that I read it. I had begun this book quite some time ago, and I had set it down and forgotten about it. I did pick it back up with the determination that I finish it this year.
You will notice that I did not give it any star rating. The reason for this is that I would not really know what I would give it. There are portions of the book that I found to be a bit repetitious, and for those that need a reminder of prior excerpts that would be good. I am not one who needs a great deal of repetition. His research of George Washington was wonderful. For that I would definitely give him a better rating. The content is something that definitely needs to be read by the public, and I am glad that it has made it to the bestseller list. I believe that I had a different anticipation of the book, and was a little thrown off by that. It is not a book to be read through quickly for there are too many facts included that could be missed. So yes I would recommend it to others looking for an accurate account of the truth of George Washington's spiritual beliefs and walk.

The evidence presented by the authors is overwhelming - there can be no doubt that George Washington was a true Christian. Most certainly he was not a Deist, as other authors have claimed. If these dissenting authors had done 1% of the research done by Peter Lillback, they would have had to recant.

For some people, their agenda is more important than the truth, which is, unfortunately a sign of the times. It is comforting to know that a man of such importance to our country had impeccable principles and a heart to serve God. Which is why, I am sure, he was chosen for the task he did not really want to take on.

Sacred Fire demolishes the re-written history of Paul Boller, Washington and Religion, but how many people will read Lillback's book of 1187 pages? Many more I hope.

This is a VERY large volume of information, but is a wonderful collection of evidence regarding the debate over the Christian faith of George Washington. It is not possible to read this book and not understand the misinformation gendered by those who would propose that the Father of Our Country was a Deist. It is so important for all of us as American citizens to understand that our country was based on Christian principles, and that men like Washington had a strong Christian faith. Much of the evidence is in Washington's own words in written documents, letters and speeches, but is also found in the documents and letters of others, and in the extensive collection of sermons collected by him. Why is it important to know all of this? Because the very foundation of our country is crumbling under the effect of falsities and misunderstandings of the true nature of our beginnings. We have to care about why our country was founded and on what principles, because not knowing lets us fall prey to those who would undermine all that we stood for in the beginning and should continue to stand for. The book is repetitive, and could have been perhaps 2/3 as long. But, I did not mind coming across the same information more than once considering the importance of what I was reading. I came to know George Washington much more intimately than I have through any of the biographies I have read. Even if you simply use this book as a reference guide, it should be on the book shelf of every patriotic American!

Excellently presented, providing a thorough look into a man for the ages. Washington's personal correspondence to close family and friends unveil the true character of the American icon and remove all doubt and speculation of the magnitude of this man. Understanding the drive and diligence behind those who helped to create, shape, and form the foundation of our nation helps me to strive to continue to contribute to their dream and progress the ideals and principles they sought to instill in this free land.

A great historical book I lost after the hurricane.

This is an important book, which shows that George Washington was not a Deist as some have claimed, but rather an orthodox Anglican with Latitudinarian tendencies.

One of the more persuasive arguments in the book, which the authors probably don't emphasize enough, is that Washington served as a godfather for some eight children and served as a very active lay-leader in his church, both of which required subscription to the Church of England's 39 Articles of Religion. Subscription was where unorthodox Anglicans, such as Jefferson, usually drew the line. Jefferson refused to become a godparent for this very reason. Other persuasive evidences of Washington's orthodoxy include his strict Sabbatarianism, his frequent private practice of prayer, his service on a Burgess committee to check the menace of Deism, his enjoyment of sermons berating French infidelity, and his expressions of reverence for the Bible. (He endorsed a “self-interpreting” evangelical study Bible, kneeled and kissed the Bible at his inauguration, and referred to the Bible variously as the Word of God, Holy Writ, and scripture.)

The authors also eviscerate all the major arguments for Washington's supposed deism. Far from never mentioning Jesus Christ, as some have claimed, Washington talked about Jesus on a number of occasions and even referred to him as "Divine". As for the claim that Washington abstained from Communion, the authors show that he participated in Communion at various times throughout his life, not only before but also during and after the Revolutionary War. There was a period of time when he temporarily abstained, but this is likely due to political differences between Washington and the local bishop rather than any kind of unorthodoxy on Washington's part.

One downside of the book is that it comes across as blatantly ideological. Lillback is a Prebyterian minister. One of his stated purposes in the book is to "empower, enable, and defend the presence of a strong Judeo-Christian worldview in the ongoing development of our state and national government and courts." The authors favorably quote another writer's opinion that "Tolerance was an American Christian contribution to the world ... so now we have a unique situation in America, where everybody's tolerated except the ones that came up with the idea." Given this embattled frame of mind, it should come as no surprise that the authors strike a very oppositional tone in making their argument. They portray the secular historians who have interpreted Washington as a deist as basically deliberate distorters of history who will never change their minds in the face of any quantity of evidence. This sense of themselves as combatants in an ideological war unfortunately induces Lillback and Newcombe to overstate many of their conclusions and to overinterpret many of their sources.

The thesis of the book is ultimately persuasive, and I'm inclined to agree with the authors that the behavior and verbiage they describe is that of an orthodox Christian rather than a deist. However, the presentation leaves something to be desired. It's a shame that the book is marred by so much distracting polemic and exaggeration. It's also unfortunate that the book is so immersed in the “Christian nation” controversy that it fails to fully appreciate Washington's faith as an object of intrinsic historical interest rather than just as a means to political ends.

This was a great history of George Washington. It's too bad that its not in print anymore. I had to get an employee at Borders (when it was going out of business) to go in a back room and check their remaining stock for it. I got lucky!

Anyway, the book was very accurate and helped me to pass the Revolutionary War part of my APUSH class last year. I though it was very well-written. It takes a while to read simply because it is so long. Totally worth the time, though! :)

BIG BOOK. Still working on getting through it. After reading it, you will never wonder what Washington's feelings toward religion were.

very good book!

George Washington's Sacred Fire
Every American needs to read George Washington's Sacred Fire by Peter A. Lillback for a valuable understanding on the beginnings of our nation and how truly a historic moment in time this was. Showing the "Providence of God" in the start up of this new country and the man who was chosen to lead us all.

Get in touch with the language of the day, the honor and principles expected and know how George Washington was absolutely the best possible choice of men ever to lead a nation. I doubt any man/or woman has since measured up in honor, faith, and respect of a people.

Read the actual words of George Washington written in letters to family, friends, officers, and leaders of other nations. Judge for yourself his character and the meanings behind the sacred texts that gave our country it's start. Realize the fall and failure of the office of president since that time in the men who have since sat in that seat of power. I highly recommend this book to everyone I know or shall ever know. You'll want to keep this one in your personal library forever.

BW

A scholarly work in which the author, with the significant use of original source documents, demonstrates the Biblical faith of George Washington. The author demonstrates that, contrary to current interpretation, Washington possessed a personal faith in the trinitarian God of the Bible that guided his daily decisions.