God and Hamilton:
Spiritual Themes from the Life of Alexander Hamilton & the Broadway Musical He Inspired
Spiritual Themes from the Life of Alexander Hamilton & the Broadway Musical He Inspired
By Kevin Cloud
Reviewed by Kerry Greenhill
In God and Hamilton,
Kevin Cloud has written a thoughtful exploration of twelve spiritual themes
found in Alexander Hamilton’s life and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s phenomenal Broadway
musical.
Beginning with an enthusiastic appreciation of the
musical itself, with consideration of the ways that theater can be a spiritual
“thin place” to experience moments of transcendence, Cloud then focuses each
chapter on one of his identified themes. He examines the theme as played out in
Hamilton’s life and in the musical, and connects it with personal, biblical,
historical, and contemporary examples.
This is a thorough, accessible, well-researched and
compelling book, worthy of individual reading and group study. There are
certainly instances where I felt Cloud left some problematic theological
assumptions unexamined, as when he relates a story by another author of an infant’s
drowning, without a theological response to the explicit statement that “God
could have stopped it.” His chapter on Equality is a good beginning to inviting
readers to address contemporary issues of racism and sexism, but could have
gone much further. Cloud also engages in imaginative speculation about what
Hamilton or other historical figures may have thought or felt in particular
situations, which sometimes felt a bit forced to fit his chapter’s themes.
Overall, I enjoyed reading God and Hamilton. It is thoughtful, sincere, rooted in faith
without being too preachy, and I would comfortably recommend this book for
anyone who loves the musical and is interested in connecting Christian faith to
history and daily life.
#GodAndHamilton
Disclosure of Material Connection: 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.
