Forgotten Features of the Founding: The Recovery of Religious Themes in the Early American Republic explores the deep significance of previously neglected religious themes in the Founding Era. James Hutson convincingly argues that without understanding these themes, it is impossible to comprehend the religious mentality of that period. Among the themes elucidated and explored are the doctrine of the future state of rewards and punishments, the civil magistrate's idealized role as the nursing father, and the conception of rights as moral powers grounded in religion. Hutson's thought-provoking and exhaustively researched work challenges current scholarship on the Founding Era, which often downplays the importance of Christian ideals in the formation of the United States government. Forgotten Features of the Founding is a must-read for scholars of American history and those interested in the role of religion in American life.

James Hutson is Chief of the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University and has published many well-known works on the Founding Era.