One of the major debates in our current cultural wars is the role of religion in our life. Does our secular system give some wiggle room for religion in the functions and policies of our government? That inevitably leads to the historical debate that now looms louder than ever — what were the religious intentions of our Founding Fathers when they established our government at the end of the 18th century?

As this debate is played in letters to editors of local papers and calls to talk shows, a superlative piece of scholarship seems in order as a new administration is set to establish policies for another era. For parties interested in this debate, please read Steven Waldman’s Founding Faith: Providence, Politics and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America.

This exceptional monograph focuses on the religious beliefs and public policies of five founders: John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Adams, although he became a Unitarian later in life, was the strongest advocate for established churches (at the state level) and active church involvement in the secular government — up to a point. He did support the first amendment, and as president maintained a strictly secular government at the federal level. He was the most overtly religious Christian of our first four presidents.

Waldman, as editor-in-chief of Beliefnet.com, a large faith and spiritual website, you might think he would support current conservative arguments that our nation was founded as a religious nation and separation of church and state is a myth. He does not. He concentrates much of his study on James Madison for two reasons. One, Madison was the staunchest advocate of a strictly secular government at all levels; and two, Madison kept the only record of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Yes, all deliberations were closed to the press.

In his finely detailed discussion of Madison’s beliefs and his influence on public policy, Waldman provides significant insights into how, in such a religious age, religion is mentioned only once in the original seven articles of the constitution. It is Article Six; no religious tests for federal offices. Through Madison, we see the push for the Bill of Rights and gradual secularization of government in the United States at all levels.

Yet, Waldman points out that the U.S. was established as a religious nation, that religion was seen as a positive good by all of the founding fathers, and our founding fathers were generally religious people. They had varied motives for keeping religion out of government and their dedication to religion varied as well, but the balance they struck was astonishing. Liberal and conservative images of the era will be modified after one reading.

Waldman’s equally balanced account of this era — one that created a secular government from a religious populace — is as amazing as a feat of scholarship and fairness, as the results our founding fathers achieved. Just a few quarrels; Adams and Jefferson were not ambassadors, as their diplomatic rank was minister. The United States did not create the rank of ambassador until 1893. Many quotes enhance the text, but this one from Madison is strangely omitted — ”The purpose of the separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe for centuries” (to Jefferson, 1803).

It is well known President-elect Obama is a prolific reader of American history. Here is a book he should read. Here is a book that is the best guide to what religion is to our government and why our founders established a disestablished church.