Arnold Friberg’s famous painting of George Washington kneeling in prayer at Valley Forge has been in the news. While we are not going to join the conversation about whether or not the painting is an accurate depiction of truth and what this may or may not mean about Washington, his religion, or America, we do want to provide an answer to this question: what does the historical record tell us about George Washington’s religious beliefs and practices?

Season 4, Episode 12 – SPECIAL: George Washington’s Religion

Guest Bio

John Fea is Professor of American History and Chair of the History Department at Messiah College. He is the author or editor of six books including The Bible Cause: A History of the American Bible Society, Why Study History? Reflecting on the Importance of the Past, and Was America Founded as a Christian Nation: A Historical Introduction. His essays and reviews have appeared in a variety of scholarly and popular venues.

Show notes:

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/27/nx-s1-5747094/church-and-state-george-washington

Podcast Support

Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. 

Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the University of Oslo.

Religion in the American Experience is a podcast of the private, digital-first National Museum of American Religion, which tells the story of how religion has shaped America and how America has shaped religion. This includes the establishment of religious freedom in the United States Constitution’s Article VI and Bill of Rights religion clauses.