 David L. Holmes, author of "The Faiths of the Founding Fathers", in a sidebar article for Britannica categorizes Washington as a Christian deist.His usage of this category implies a religious spectrum of sorts for deism.Holmes also distinguishes between strict deists and orthodox Christians by their church attendance, participation in religious rites (such as baptism, Holy Communion, and confirmation), the use of religious language, and opinions of contemporary family, friends, clergy, and acquaintances.