James D. Bratt Knihy

When asked at a press conference about the roots of his political philosophy, President Franklin Roosevelt responded, “I am a Christian and a Democrat.” This volume—part of the popular and widely acclaimed Library of Religious Biography series—tells the story of how the first informed the second, showing how FDR’s upbringing in the Episcopal Church and education at the Groton School under legendary headmaster and minister Endicott Peabody formed him into a leader whose politics were fundamentally shaped by the social gospel.A work begun by religious historian John Woolverton (1926-2014) and recently completed by James Bratt, A Christian and a Democrat is an engaging analysis of the surprisingly significant religious life of one of the most important presidents in US history. Reading Woolverton’s account of FDR’s response to the toxic demagoguery of his day will reassure readers today that a constructive way forward is possible for Christians, for Americans, for the world.

Focusing on early American history, the book explores the origins of American diversity through the lens of European and African settlements along the Atlantic coast. It examines the evolution of five distinct regions, highlighting their unique strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as the debates that shaped the emerging United States. This scholarly work offers insights into how these diverse influences converged to form the nation.