Household Gods: The Religious Lives of the Adams Family

President John Adams believed that religion had shaped his family's fortunes and the future of young America. The Adamses of Massachusetts had a dynamic and well-documented history of living religion, with Christianity supplying the language for Abigail to interpret her husband's political setbacks, Scripture arming their son John Quincy to act as father, statesman, and antislavery advocate, Unitarianism giving Abigail's Victorian grandson, Charles Francis, the religious confidence to persevere in political battles on the Civil War homefront, and a renewal of faith leading Abigail's great-grandson Brooks to prophesy two world wars. Sara Georgini, series editor for The Papers of John Adams, demonstrates how pivotal Christianity was in shaping the family's decisions, spanning three centuries of faith from Puritan New England to the Jazz Age.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 24 January 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

President John Adams, in reflecting on his past, acknowledged the profound influence of religion on his family's fortunes and the future of young America. The Adamses, a prominent family from Massachusetts in the nineteenth century, had a rich and documented history of their religious experiences. Christianity played a central role in shaping their lives, providing the language and inspiration for various members of the family. Abigail Adams, John's wife, drew upon Scripture to interpret her husband's political setbacks, while their son John Quincy became a father, statesman, and ardent antislavery advocate, drawing strength from the teachings of the Bible. On the other hand, Abigail's Victorian grandson, Charles Francis, found Unitarianism to be a source of religious confidence and perseverance during the Civil War. In contrast, his son Henry viewed religion as lacking the purity and rationality of modern science. A renewed sense of faith led Abigail's great-grandson Brooks, a Gilded Age critic of capitalism, to prophesy two world wars. The Adamses, known for their extensive travels and documentation of their religious journeys, developed a cosmopolitan Christianity that blended exploration and critique, faith and doubt. Sara Georgini, series editor for The Papers of John Adams, showcases the pivotal role of Christianity as understood by different generations within the family. Spanning three centuries, from Puritan New England to the Jazz Age, Household Gods presents a fresh perspective on American religion, revealing how the Adams family lived and experienced it.

Weight: 426g
Dimension: 236 x 154 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197647219