This was my first book review for the News-Sentinel.
Like many leaders today, Washington was extraordinary but not perfect
America’s longing for heroes to adore to “save our country” did not start with Barack Obama. It began with our first president, George Washington. There is a little book called “Inventing George Washington: America’s Founder, in Myth and Memory” by Edward Lengel that is a good antidote for the whining about the quality of this year’s presidential contenders.Parson Weems wrote the best-selling book “Life and Memorable Actions of George Washington.”
“It contains some of the most beloved lies in American history” as Lengel phrases it, including George’s not telling a lie that it was he who chopped down the cherry tree (i.e. telling a lie to teach about not lying). As Lengel says: “A superb story-teller, Weems knew his audience — and gladly collected its money.”
Because Weems’ book was what the public wanted to hear, not based upon any actual facts, it is amazing, yet not surprising, that book after book repeated variations of the fables. For example, Lengel demolishes the myth of George Washington’s famous prayer at Valley Forge. This scene is one of the iconic myths of Americanized Christianity.
The currently popular biography “Washington: A Life,” by noted author Ron Chernow, repeats the myth, which is also canonized in a stained-glass window in the prayer room in the Capitol Building. Washington was a good Anglican Christian for the times but not the pious man we desire him to have been, nor the deist the liberals prefer.
The problem with selective myth-making about our Founding Fathers is that it creates unrealistic expectations for current times. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich loved to “assign” books for us to read. Gingrich once called the one-volume version of James Thomas Flexner’s titled “Washington: The Indispensable Man” the most important book we could read. Gingrich, not surprisingly, sees history as a story driven by the actions of great men.
Before Chernow’s book, Flexner was the recognized standard, yet it was filled with myths.
An alternative theory of history was explained by Dennis Miller, our pastor at Emmanuel Christian Church. As we study Exodus, he pointed out that Moses did not want to lead his people to the Promised Land. Moses said his people didn’t know him, that he couldn’t speak well, wah-wah-wah. God didn’t even try to build up his self-esteem but rather agreed that Moses lacked basic skills. Instead he pointed out that it wasn’t about Moses: It was about what God could do.
Washington worked to create his own myth and was perhaps the only person who could have been used to unite America. But after his death we deified him. Author Lengel points out that Thomas Paine called Washington “everything but an ax murderer,” which confirms that in his life Washington was not viewed as God. And some tea party people today deify the pathetic atheist Paine.
Our founders were just men who were slightly more extraordinary than most. So are today’s leaders. We never had gods for leaders, don’t have gods running for office today and never will have perfect leaders.
“It contains some of the most beloved lies in American history” as Lengel phrases it, including George’s not telling a lie that it was he who chopped down the cherry tree (i.e. telling a lie to teach about not lying). As Lengel says: “A superb story-teller, Weems knew his audience — and gladly collected its money.”
Because Weems’ book was what the public wanted to hear, not based upon any actual facts, it is amazing, yet not surprising, that book after book repeated variations of the fables. For example, Lengel demolishes the myth of George Washington’s famous prayer at Valley Forge. This scene is one of the iconic myths of Americanized Christianity.
The currently popular biography “Washington: A Life,” by noted author Ron Chernow, repeats the myth, which is also canonized in a stained-glass window in the prayer room in the Capitol Building. Washington was a good Anglican Christian for the times but not the pious man we desire him to have been, nor the deist the liberals prefer.
The problem with selective myth-making about our Founding Fathers is that it creates unrealistic expectations for current times. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich loved to “assign” books for us to read. Gingrich once called the one-volume version of James Thomas Flexner’s titled “Washington: The Indispensable Man” the most important book we could read. Gingrich, not surprisingly, sees history as a story driven by the actions of great men.
Before Chernow’s book, Flexner was the recognized standard, yet it was filled with myths.
An alternative theory of history was explained by Dennis Miller, our pastor at Emmanuel Christian Church. As we study Exodus, he pointed out that Moses did not want to lead his people to the Promised Land. Moses said his people didn’t know him, that he couldn’t speak well, wah-wah-wah. God didn’t even try to build up his self-esteem but rather agreed that Moses lacked basic skills. Instead he pointed out that it wasn’t about Moses: It was about what God could do.
Washington worked to create his own myth and was perhaps the only person who could have been used to unite America. But after his death we deified him. Author Lengel points out that Thomas Paine called Washington “everything but an ax murderer,” which confirms that in his life Washington was not viewed as God. And some tea party people today deify the pathetic atheist Paine.
Our founders were just men who were slightly more extraordinary than most. So are today’s leaders. We never had gods for leaders, don’t have gods running for office today and never will have perfect leaders.