"Wherever God erects a house of prayer, The devil always builds a chapel there, And't will be found, upon examination, The latter has the largest congregation" (Defoe, The True-Born Englishman. Part I. Line1). Daniel Defoe was a man of many beliefs, from political to spiritual he was complex in his values. He was roughly a merchant, soldier, factory owner, bankrupt, spy, pamphleteer, convict, journalist, editor, politically disruptive writer, and novelist. However to this day, his life and works are an interesting and remarkable topic for the curious to delve into.

Defoe's upbringing can be described as none other than humble. He was born to a butcher named James Foe in Stoke Newington, London, England. His family was that of Dissenters. Dissenters could be described as Protestants that did not adhere to the doctrine of the Church of England. Because of his family's refusal to pledge an oath of...