'Benjamin Franklin' takes a more nuanced look at Franklin's views of God

Randy Dontigo reviews for Christian Science Monitor: Ben Franklin seems like the rare founding father who'd actually be fun to hang around – at least if you weren't his wife.

Turns out this remarkable renaissance man – scientist, best-selling author, inventor, diplomat, political powerhouse – spent his lifetime on a complex journey of faith.

As historian Thomas S. Kidd reveals in Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father, Franklin started wrestling with religion and morality as a teenager and never stopped pondering the natures of God, humanity and universe.

Kidd vividly brings Franklin's spiritual quest to life throughout his book, and he provides a direct line from Franklin's beliefs to those we see around us today.