Fea: "David Barton on the American Bible Society"

From John Fea here. A taste:

Most of what [Barton] says about the founding of the American Bible Society is accurate, but he does not paint an entire picture of the founding or the men involved in the founding.

For example:

• The American Bible Society was founded in the midst of some serious divisions about the nature of the United States in the decades following independence.  Not all the so-called founding fathers would have signed on to the political and cultural vision behind the ABS.  For some context check out Jonathan Den Hartog's new book Patriotism and Piety: Federalist Politics and Religious Struggle in the New American Nation.

• Boudinot did indeed respect the Bible.  He defended its inspiration and authority against attacks from skeptics like Thomas Paine.  He also turned to it to make predictions about the end of the world and to claim that native Americans were the ten lost tribes of Israel

• John Jay was a devout Anglican Christian.  He also tried to ban Catholics from participating in New York government.