Teasing out what Franklin believed is a historical challenge. Kidd describes Franklin's faith as “elusive” (3, 4) and “enigmatic” (236). Not only did Franklin develop in his thinking over time, but he also played with religious ideas and debated different positions equally. He would sometimes write a religious piece for his newspaper under one pen name and then respond to it with a letter to the editor, criticizing the first piece under a second pen name.
While other authors—Gregg Frazer, David Holmes, and John Fea—have tried to pin down Franklin's religious beliefs, they each devote only one chapter in larger studies to him, whereas Kidd uses the freedom of an entire book to understand the contours of Franklin's religious thought.
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