The Spiritual Side of Alexander Hamilton

I first heard the name, Alexander Hamilton, when I was in grade school. I learned that he was one of the founding fathers of our nation, the first Secretary of the Treasury, and died in a duel with Aaron Burr. A few years ago, a musical hit Broadway named, “Hamilton.” I must confess that I couldn’t understand how anyone could produce a musical based on such a boring public figure much less a phenomenally successful Broadway musical. After reading Kevin Cloud’s book, I now know the rest of the story.

Kevin Cloud’s book, God and Hamilton: Spiritual Themes from the Life of Alexander Hamilton and the Broadway Musical He Inspired (Deep River Books, Sister, Oregon, 2018) is a spiritual reflection on both the musical and Ron Chernow’s book, Alexander Hamilton. Cloud asserts that Hamilton was a man of deep, personal faith. Hamilton’s faith enabled him to overcome tremendous personal adversity and shaped his personal and political life.

In Cloud’s book, Hamilton becomes a mirror of our own struggles in life. As an immigrant emerging out of poverty, Hamilton faced issues of self-worth. His many successes tempted him with pride, while his moral failure forced him to wrestle with sin, forgiveness, and redemption. The reader realizes that Hamilton’s journey of faith is similar to all followers of Jesus and that God’s presence, power, steadfast love and unconditional forgiveness are as much a part of our lives as they were of Hamilton’s

Cloud writes in an easy, engaging manner. The faith issues that he identifies in Hamilton’s life are both instructional and inspirational. The reader will come away not only knowing a lot more about the man, Alexander Hamilton, but also about the God who was such a personal reality in Hamilton’s life.

I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.