Why Should Students Read Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography?

Is it because his sense of humor spans the centuries, reminding us of a witty uncle who always made us laugh? Publishing his articles under the name Mrs. Silence Dogood when his older brother proclaimed him too young to write for a newspaper, and coining phrases like "fish and visitors stink in three days", Franklin's cleverness still delights younger generations.

Is it because, as “America’s DaVinci”, his astonishingly broad resume of accomplishments boasts inventions as dissimilar as bifocals and odometers, and careers as distinct as Postmaster General and foreign diplomat?

Or is it because, while proclaiming himself a “thorough deist” as a young man, his writing became increasingly Christian over the course of his lifetime? Near the end of his life, in fact, he wrote that the foundation of happiness requires that humans “know that God governs the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayers, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. That statement hardly describes a deist and his distant god. (More on deism next month.)

While these facts are engaging, they are not my favorite reasons for teaching Franklin.

My favorite reasons for teaching Franklin concern his Virtues Chart upon which he placed a mark every time he failed to demonstrate a particular virtue on any given day of the week, stating, “I want to live without committing any fault at any time”.

"Is it possible to live 'without committing any fault at any time?' Should it be life's primary goal? If not, what should be?” I ask my class. The questions require students to search the scriptures to deny or defend Franklin’s statement.

In their responses, students often bring up Ephesians 2:8-9: “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Other passages students cite include Philippians 1:6, Romans 3:20-27, and Galatians 2:16.

That search reminds them that striving for perfection as an end to itself can’t save them and can instead be a distraction from the pursuit of knowing Christ as our substitutionary Savior: the only One who had or will ever have a perfect record.

My final reason for teaching Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography is because students are confronted with the truth that our nation's greatest leaders were and are fallible. It is good that we appreciate their admirable qualities. It is right to be thankful for their contributions - God chose them for certain role at appointed times. It is also good that we do not idolize them.

We can recognize that God uses imperfect people, both those who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and those who do not. All things are in His hands and under His control. Ultimately, our admiration of any leader should point our admiration back to our Creator, "for he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Colossians 1:17). This priceless discussion with students sets the stage for them to respond with discernment to other realities about leadership they will encounter as they traverse the American literary record.

Though Franklin clearly recognized a sovereign God, we have no evidence Franklin arrived at the right conclusions about his inherent sinfulness and need for “redemption through [Christ’s] blood, the forgiveness of his trespasses, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7). I hope he did!

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NEW! Free Resource!

Enjoy Benjamin Franklin's witty sayings ("aphorisms") as a classroom game!

I’ve added Benjamin Franklin Aphorisms Matching Game to the free resource library. Students have to match the Franklin aphorism to its modern translation. Click HERE to go to the resource library gateway. The password is IMPACT (case sensitive). Enjoy!

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NEW! TPT Resource!

The Benjamin Franklin Journaling Booklet is now available in my TPT store. The booklet gives students the opportunity to try Franklin’s virtue experiments on themselves! They chart their virtues for a week, just like he did, and end with self-reflection questions which include scripture look-up and analysis. They also, like Franklin, analyze their use of their most precious commodity: their time. The booklet also requires research, short and essay answers, and quote collecting. Click HERE to go to the product page.