Gary Wills is one of my favorite authors. His writings on history and religion are among the best I have written. Wills has an interesting perspective, he is a devout Catholic but he leans more to the left than right in his writings and beliefs.
This is a 600 page plus book that tracks American religion from the Salem plantation to the 2006 elections. Tracking the two paths of Enlightenment and Evangelical religion Wills gives us much to consider.
An interesting section is about the American forefathers, most of whom were Deists. They still understood the need for religion to center American life but for they themselves the miracles of Jesus were not to be beleived. In essence they felt that Jesus was a remarkable, wonderful, thoughtful, mortal human being.
We see the affect religion had on the issue of slavery. We see the major religions split into two with both sides grasping at their interpretation of the Bible.
The modern Evangelical movement gets quite a bracing review from Wills. Arguing that abortion has become more of a political issue than a religeous one Wills offers an intellectual argument that I have not heard before.
A book this large offers more than can be reviewed. Safe to say for me Wills is my daily spiritual review. Reading a small section each day so I can mull it Wills books last me a bit. This is a great writer.
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