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170 of 185 found the following review helpful:
 Very useful to read and think about. Better to share and talk about. Oct 27, 2006
By Craig Matteson
While many people will rail against Newt Gingrich and this book without ever bothering to read it, I recommend that every American read this short, easy-to-read, and very informative book. It is not advocating a theocracy in any way. What Speaker Gingrich is warning against is that banning any possible mention of God from public life and education will distort the understanding of history.
He says of this book, "Its purpose is neither theological, nor an effort to proselytize on behalf of any religious worldview. All Americans - both those who believe in God and those who do not share this belief - are equal in rights and duties under our Constitution and equal in deserving the respect of their fellow citizens." (page 130)
Gingrich goes on, "Instead, the purpose of this book is to rediscover the historic source of American liberty and to rediscover the founding generation's understanding of what is required to sustain liberty in a free society. And to do this is to truly discover anew the centrality of God in American history and in the ongoing story of American liberty." (page 131)
The author simply takes us on a walking tour of some major monuments around the National Mall in Washington D. C. and around Arlington National Cemetery. He gives us a little background on the man being memorialized including his statements about God, faith, and religion. The article also gives us some information about the monument, how it came to be and what we see when we visit there. We learn that even those that are often cited as not being religious did attend church services, and in the case of Jefferson, IN THE CAPITOL! The back of the book has a map of the area, a small chapter on how to take the walking tour of these monuments, and some photographs of these places.
Speaker Gingrich opens the book with a good article about the work by a minority to sterilize the public square of all references to God as if the discussion of religion, God, and faith were not a part of the very fabric of our nation. While it would be easy to believe that their efforts are ridiculous and could never result in the re-writing of history and the sandblasting of our monuments, some have already expressed a desire to do so. And the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has already ruled that "UNDER GOD" cannot be said in the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools (although, I believe, that ruling is currently enjoined while under appeal).
This is a very good book to read and think about. More important, it is a good book to share, give as a gift, and to talk about. Since the vast majority of us want to be able to talk about what matters to us and how we make our decisions about important matters, which may very well include our faith, we cannot let a small minority of self-appointed censors restrict us. Certainly, we must remain tolerant of all faiths and even the lack of faith (which is often a faith of sorts), but we must also assert our right to speak and pray and teach as we see fit. To pretend that our founders did not talk about God or pray or read the Bible is to pervert and distort history. And this constitutes a miseducation of our young people. We need to stand up to this and make sure it is corrected.
146 of 176 found the following review helpful:
 Compelling Field Trip Into The Birth Of Our Nation. Oct 21, 2006
By Peter Thomas Senese - Author.
""A book is a free ticket to anywhere in the universe - read!""
With a bit of initial reluctance I opened Newt Gingrich's `Rediscovering God in America: Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our Nation's History and Future' after some prodding by a well-read friend. Let me begin by saying that I'm ambivalent to Speaker Gingrich; however, credit must be given to this fascinatingly structured and well researched book that puts the question of `religious intent and integration' of the Founding Fathers into a different type of view.
Regardless if you agree or do not agree with how far the Founding Fathers intended to integrate religion into American society and law, readers will enjoy the historical tour and timeline Gingrich brings the reader on, essentially providing a most unique tour of Washington's past and present, and reviewing the doctrines and landscapes that created this nation. Funny, I actually felt as if I was on a history tour: well done.
Starting out in the nation's capital, the reader begins the `tour' so to speak at the National Archives where we review the opening commentary of The Declaration of Independence. Immediately, the words from the Declaration of Independence that we "are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights". These words act to pound the drum of Gingrich's defense of a monotheism base, and specifically a Christian theme that is the fundamental basis for which all thing evolving around mankind's rights to freedom, liberty, and justice are based upon. Essentially, Gingrich is saying and I can't disagree, that the Creator has given to each of us the right of liberty, justice, and freedom. This is what our government has based itself on, though clearly as George Washington said during the night of his inauguration on Wall Street at Federal Hall, "Liberty is an experiment entrusted to the American people".
Gingrich does a nice but unpersuasive job in presenting the facts that the founding doctrines of our American society have been influenced by belief in the Creator and religion has a pivotal role in our American culture. Where Gingrich fails in his argument is in a lack of presentation to the beliefs of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who each believed that religion could not and should not mix with the political affairs of our nation.
Nevertheless, it is clear that belief in the Creator and the values that all religions openly state regarding benevolence, acting in kindness toward one another, etc., are values that have driven our Founding Fathers when many of the guiding doctrines of our nation were created. I can't disagree with Speak Gingrich's position completely. It is my opinion that our individual religious beliefs assist each of us in creating our own values, and so our own ethics - all of which are foundations required to create the governing laws of man. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and Speaker Gingrich does an excellent job in keeping the historical components presented quite interesting.
51 of 62 found the following review helpful:
Beware of misquotes - Christian Wilski's review Nov 13, 2006
By R Watkins
At the end of Wilski's review he quotes (misquotes) our founding fathers.
For example, his first quote on John Adams is "This would be the best of all possible worlds if there were no religion in it." But actually it is a deceitful misquote of Adams. Now Wilski is probably just repeating what others have told him or he read somewhere and never really read what John Adams had to say. But you will find this quote of Adams given as a classic example of deceitfully misquoting by taking something out of context which totally distorts its meaning. Here is Adam's quote in context...
"Twenty times, in the course of my late reading, have I been on the point of breaking out, 'this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!!!!' But in this exclamation, I should have been as fanatical as Bryant or Cleverly. Without religion, this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in public company-I mean hell."
Reminds me of a famous misquote from the bible - "There is no God". Maybe Wilski would like to use this quote as well. Yes, that is in the Bible but ... let's look at the full context.
"The fool has said in his heart there is no God."
107 of 134 found the following review helpful:
FAITH OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS Aug 10, 2006
By TOM CHASTAIN
"TOM CHASTAIN"
"REDISCOVERING GOD IN AMERICA" IS A REFRESHING LOOK AT THE LIFES OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS AND HOW MUCH OF A ROLE FAITH PLAYED IN THERE LIFES AND SHAPED THE DESTINY OF THIS NATION.I REALLY APPRIEATE SPEAKER GINGRICH WRITING THIS BOOK AND SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT OUR FOUNDERS CAUSE SOME CRITICS OUT THERE WOULD SUGGEST THAT OUR FORMER PATROTS WERE NOT MEN OF FAITH BUT THIS WELL RESEARCHED AND DOCUMENTED BOOK HAS FACTS THAT PROVE OTHER WISE THAT OUR FOUNDERS WERE INDEED MEN OF GREAT CHRISTIAN FAITH WHO STOOD FOR PRINCIPLES THAT MATTER THE MOST. THE WRITER OF THE BOOK HOLDS A PHD IN HISTORY AND TEACHS IN GA.
40 of 51 found the following review helpful:
A tour de force Nov 26, 2006
By Seth J. Frantzman
Returning to his origins as a historian, the author presents an important argument for the role of god in American life, not only in the life of the home but in public life. What this books shows very convincingly is that god was very much on the minds of the founders. Even the most secular revolutionary founders such as Jefferson wrote about the 'creator' and many of the founders and signers of the declaration were deeply religious. When they spoke of Freedom of Religion they spoke in terms fo freedom from the church of England and by extension the English government extending its control over America. The people who wrote the constitution were descendants of non-conformists who fled religious persecution in England. Later those fighting against too much religion in schools would be protestants opposing catholic schools using public money. But there was not an intention to strip the cross out of public life or to pretend like Christmass isnt an integral part of AMerican life where 90% of the people celebrate it.
The book shows us that throughout the monuments in Washington, right down to the archives there is a deep attachment to god in the United States, not an attachment to a certain god, but a beleif that god grants equality and freedom and rights and that is why dictatorship and tyranny are wrong, becuase of the natural rights granted by god. It was beleif in god that led abolitionists to fight against slavery, secularism didnt end slavery or inspire John Brown or Fredrick Douglas or Lincoln. It was always god and in particular christianity that laid behind many of the great campaigns for freedom, democracy and human rights, of which the U.S was a pioneer. Those like George Crook who fought against the oppression of the Native Americans, were influenced by the 'creator'.
So here we have a very important work that shows why the Ten Commandments and 'under god' and 'in god we trust' are all integral to America. It also shows why America has always been so tolerant of other faiths. But it dares to show that athiesm is not tolerant of all faiths and atheism would strip america of religious diversity in order to impose its will.
Seth J. Frantzman
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