Many works are written and published on George Washington, the most influential Founding Father of the United States. Most of these writings are related to his life and political commitment, but also to his faith. Concerning the latter in particular, it is still a matter of debate among historians and scholars, as some consider Washington as a near-atheist while others see him as a devout religious man. The current study is focused on Washington’s Farewell Address, examining it with a philological approach for probable traces of Christianity or deism in it which may lead one into asserting that Washington was a Christian, a deist or both, with the conviction that whether religion had an influence or not on the First American President, only a philological examination of traces of religion in his writings can reveal. This paper uses Washington’s Farewell Address as a case study.

religion morality address Washington