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Reading Guide
America's Prophet


The Exodus story is America's Story.

Moses is our real founding father.






Questions for Discussion

1. After having read the book, do you agree with Buce Feiler that Moses is America's true founding father?

2. What does the phrase " the Promised Land" mean? Would you call American the Promised Land? Why? What makes it so? If you could create you own ideal promised land, what would it look like?

3. America's Prophet takes us from the Pilgrims to the Revolution, the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement. Where you surprised to discover Moses' influence on some of the most decisive events in our nation's history? What amzed you most?

4. Do you have a favorite Exodus Story from our history? Explain. When Bruce Feiler met President Bush, he asked him if there were any moments when Moses inspired him. Have there been any moments when Moses inspired you?

5. Can you think of some other examples—not just limited to America—of where Moses and the Exodus story has been an influence, whether historically or in popular culture?

6. Often when we hear religion and politics being discussed it is in a negative light. How can politics and religion be a positive force for each other? How does Feiler make this argument? Use examples from the book. Can you think of other examples to support your point?

7. At the end of America's Prophet, the author asks if Moses is still relevant today. What do you think? Do you agree with his conclusions? How might the Exodus story help us even now?

8. Take any example from the book. Describe how Moses inspired George Washington and Benjamin Franklin or Abraham Lincoln or Barack Obama.

9. Think about the Emma Lazarus poem, The New Colossus. When you read her words, what do they mean to you? What do you think they might mean to today's immigrants? Is their "promised land" different from the promised land of those who came before?

10. Who in your life or your community would you liken to Moses? How have they embodied the Moses ideal?

11. At the end of the book, Feiler asks his relative to define freedom. What does freedom mean to you?

12. If you have read Bruce Felier's other books—Where God Was Born, Abraham, Walking the Bible—how does America's Prophet fit in with those other works? Would you call it a continuation of the author's journey?

About the Author

Bruce Feiler is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including Walking the Bible, Abraham, and Where God Was Born, as well as the host of the documentary series Walking the Bible on PBS. An award-winning author, journalist, and speaker, Feiler is a graduate of Yale and Cambridge universities. He is a frequent contributor to NPR, CNN, and Fox News. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and twin daughters.

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