In his seminal 1989 book The Democratization of American Christianity, historian Nathan Hatch posited that the forces of democratization and religious disestablishment unleashed by the American Revolution galvanized an unprecedented outpouring of spiritual enthusiasm. By untethering government and religion, the American Founders created a marketplace of faiths that proved powerfully adept at channeling Americans’ religious longings.
Nicole Penn is assistant director for social, cultural, and constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute. She is also a doctoral student in American history at George Mason University.
