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The Myth of Christian America  /  MCA (12 of 14): Faith of the Founding Fathers #2  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 4
Washington’s preferred God-language (“Providence,” “Supreme Architect of the universe,” “Heaven”) and the near-total absence of references to Jesus in his writings struck Bercot as spiritually significant; what conclusions do you think can and cannot be drawn from the way someone speaks about God, and how would early Christians have evaluated that kind of “God talk”?
Another way to ask: Washington talked about God using words like “Providence” but rarely mentioned Jesus. What can we and can’t we guess about someone’s faith from the way they talk about God, and how might early Christians have judged that?

Direct Answer Bercot argues that Washington’s impersonal “Providence” language and lack of Jesus-talk doesn’t prove he wasn’t Christian, but it creates serious doubt—especially when combined with other evidence. The transcript does not describe how early Christians would evaluate this, so we can’t answer that part directly.

Support from Transcript:

  • Bercot says Washington “definitely believed in God and in God’s providence,” and he “usually referred to God” as “providence.”
  • He reports Washington “almost never talked about his personal religious beliefs,” and “no one really knows what he believed about Jesus or the Trinity or salvation.”
  • He calls this “quite strange for someone who is truly born again…who has a genuine relationship with Christ.”
  • He says Washington’s God-references are “never…intimate,” using phrases like “heaven” or “the supreme architect of the universe.”
  • He adds, “I don’t recollect ever finding a reference to Jesus in his writings,” though he admits he “may have overlooked a reference here or there.”
  • He notes this resembles how “Thomas Jefferson and other Deists” spoke.
Discussion Follow-ups What kind of God-language tends to show up when someone is trying to be publicly “religious” without personal discipleship?

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