{"id":32872,"date":"2026-09-09T14:22:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T18:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?p=32872"},"modified":"2026-09-09T21:25:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T01:25:36","slug":"professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Professor and prolific author to discuss “The Faith of George Washington” in presentation at Tusculum University"},"content":{"rendered":"

GREENEVILLE<\/strong> \u2013 Most people know the heroic and statesman elements of George Washington\u2019s stewardship of our nation in the formation and early days of the United States.<\/h3>\n
\"Dr.

Dr. Timothy Holder<\/p><\/div>\n

Washington was commander of the Continental Army that defeated the British in the Revolutionary War, and he later served as the nation\u2019s first president. But what about other elements that shaped Washington\u2019s life, such as his faith?<\/p>\n

Dr. Timothy Holder, who teaches history online for Walters State Community College and Liberty University, will discuss \u201cThe Faith of George Washington\u201d Monday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. in Chalmers Conference Center at Tusculum University<\/a>. The presentation is free.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe faith of George Washington is a\u00a0complicated\u00a0topic,\u201d Dr. Holder said. \u201cThere are highly regarded historians who say he\u00a0was pretty indifferent to his faith,\u00a0but there\u00a0are those who disagree. The skeptics can point to specific information to make their case, but I argue that there is a lot of evidence that indicates that Washington’s Christian faith was quite important to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The discussion about Washington\u2019s faith is interesting because of the debate about the role it played in his life, Dr. Holder said. He is also attracted to the topic because of Washington\u2019s remarkable popularity in colonial times and during the years when the United States was gaining its footing as a nation. Dr. Holder called him \u201cextraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Washington was an Anglican, but Dr. Holder said that denomination crumbled during the Revolution. Like many American Anglicans, Washington subsequently found himself as part of the Episcopal Church.<\/p>\n

This Founding Father has an important connection to Tusculum. During his presidency, Washington donated $100 to Greeneville College \u2013 a predecessor name of Tusculum \u2013 which was founded in 1794. Today, Tusculum is remembering that special gift by conducting the \u201cGive Like George Washington\u201d fundraiser in which the university invites people to donate $100 or any amount they prefer.<\/p>\n

Dr. Holder\u2019s presentation on Washington is one of the series of events Tusculum is holding during the fall semester that focuses on history. The America 250\/Tusculum 232 Celebration is designed to highlight various aspects of American history, including those that occurred in East Tennessee. The events also call attention to Tusculum\u2019s contributions to the nation\u2019s success. The list of events is available at https:\/\/iasite.tusculum.edu\/america-250-tusculum-232-events\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In addition to his duties as a professor, Dr. Holder is an author and speaker. He speaks more than 100 times a year to civic groups, churches, schools and other organizations, and \u201cThe Faith of George Washington\u201d is one of the topics he offers on the lecture circuit.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Dr. Holder has written about 20 books, mostly about presidents and faith. Among them are \u201cForged in Fire and Hope,\u201d which examines the role religion played in the lives of some of the nation\u2019s most popular presidents. They are Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield and Theodore Roosevelt. In an overview of that book, he discusses Washington and his faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he was a Christian, why did he skip Communion for years?\u201d Holder asked. \u201cIf he was not a Christian, how does one explain his high level of involvement in his church? Some call him a Deist, but if that was true, why did he pray so much?\u201d<\/p>\n

Other Dr. Holder books include \u201cDevotions with Presidents,\u201d \u201cPresidential Trivia\u201d and \u201cThe Three Presidents: An Adam Galloway Adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Holder, who has also appeared on television and movies as an actor. holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in Bible and education from Asbury University, a master\u2019s degree in history from the University of Kentucky, a master\u2019s in applied theology and religion from Carson-Newman University and a doctorate in history from UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to have Dr. Holder share his scholarship on Washington and know he will capture the audience\u2019s attention because of his expertise,\u201d said the Rev. E.J. Swatsell, chair of the America 250\/Tusculum 232 Committee and the university\u2019s director of spiritual life. \u201cWashington is respected across the board because of his leadership, bravery and commitment to our nation. But it is also a pleasure to see other facets of Washington\u2019s life being given proper consideration for their impact on the way he carried himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anyone with questions about the presentation can email Swatsell at eswatsell@tusculum.edu<\/a>. More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GREENEVILLE<\/strong> \u2013 Most people know the heroic and statesman elements of George Washington\u2019s stewardship of our nation in the formation and early days of the United States.<\/h3>\n

Washington was commander of the Continental Army that defeated the British in the Revolutionary War, and he later served as the nation\u2019s first president. But what about other elements that shaped Washington\u2019s life, such as his faith?<\/p>\n

Dr. Timothy Holder, who teaches history online for Walters State Community College and Liberty University, will discuss \u201cThe Faith of George Washington\u201d Monday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. in Chalmers Conference Center at Tusculum University<\/a>. The presentation is free.<\/p>\n

Read the full article…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[131,91,7,19,142,169,146,1,6,148,147,149,172],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nProfessor and prolific author to discuss "The Faith of George Washington" in presentation at Tusculum University :: Tusculum University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Professor and prolific author to discuss "The Faith of George Washington" in presentation at Tusculum University :: Tusculum University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"GREENEVILLE \u2013 Most people know the heroic and statesman elements of George Washington\u2019s stewardship of our nation in the formation and early days of the United States. Washington was commander of the Continental Army that defeated the British in the Revolutionary War, and he later served as the nation\u2019s first president. But what about other elements that shaped Washington\u2019s life, such as his faith? Dr. Timothy Holder, who teaches history online for Walters State Community College and Liberty University, will discuss \u201cThe Faith of George Washington\u201d Monday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. in Chalmers Conference Center at Tusculum University. The presentation is free. Read the full article...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-09T18:22:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-10T01:25:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Dr.-Timothy-Holder-202x300.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jim Wozniak\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jim Wozniak\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university\/\",\"name\":\"Professor and prolific author to discuss \\\"The Faith of George Washington\\\" in presentation at Tusculum University :: Tusculum University\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-09T18:22:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-10T01:25:36+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"News and Information\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Professor and prolific author to discuss “The Faith of George Washington” in presentation at Tusculum University\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS\",\"description\":\"News for Alumni, Parents and Friends\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7\",\"name\":\"Jim Wozniak\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jim Wozniak\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/author\/jwozniaktusculum-edu\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Professor and prolific author to discuss \"The Faith of George Washington\" in presentation at Tusculum University :: Tusculum University","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/professor-and-prolific-author-to-discuss-the-faith-of-george-washington-in-presentation-at-tusculum-university\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Professor and prolific author to discuss \"The Faith of George Washington\" in presentation at Tusculum University :: Tusculum University","og_description":"GREENEVILLE \u2013 Most people know the heroic and statesman elements of George Washington\u2019s stewardship of our nation in the formation and early days of the United States. 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