This post is from July 13, 2021: In 2011, Dudley Rutherford, the pastor of the Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, California, sat down in front of a camera and told the inspiring story behind the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”...
Founding Fathers and religion
Is religion good for the republic?
The founders believed that religion was important to a strong republic. Republics required virtue–the willingness to occasionally sacrifice self-interest for the public good. If religion could make people more virtuous, the founders promoted it. I am convinced that if there...
This interview tells us a lot about John MacArthur and the movement he represents
Chris Hutchison, the pastor of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Blacksburg, VA, brought this to my attention today via Twitter. Watch John MacArthur speaking to Ryan Helfenbein of the Liberty University Falkirk Center about his battle with the state...
Engaging with the latest stuff on race and the founders coming from Liberty University’s Falkirk Center
Not all Christian colleges are the same. Some of you may recall a post in which I compared Messiah University to Liberty University. If you have a child considering a faith-based college I encourage you to read that post. Liberty...
Thinking historically about Trump’s Mount Rushmore speech
A lot of conservatives liked Trump’s speech on Friday night. I am told that The Wall Street Journal gave it a positive review. I commented on the speech here, but I thought I would say a few more things about Trump’s...
On complexity and revisionism in the doing of history
From Why Study History: Reflecting on the Importance of the Past: On complexity: Historians realize that the past is complex. Human behavior does not easily conform to our present-day social, cultural, political, religious, or economic categories. Take Thomas Jefferson for example....
Saturday night court evangelical roundup
What have Trump’s evangelicals been saying since our last update? Samuel Rodriguez is upset about the prohibition on singing in California churches. You cannot permit tens of thousands to march in protest without masks and demand that 100 worshipers refrain from singing. That my...
The debate over America’s Christian founding continues
The Cato Institute hired four scholars–Mark David Hall, Steven Green, Thomas Kidd, and Brooke Allen–to debate issue. Follow along here. You can get my take here....
Out of the Zoo: Hamilton’s Deathbed Conversion
Annie Thorn is a sophomore history major from Kalamazoo, Michigan and our intern here at The Way of Improvement Leads Home. As part of her internship she is writing a weekly column titled “Out of the Zoo.” It focuses on life as...
Thoughts on Attorney General William Barr’s Notre Dame Speech
I find myself in agreement with a lot of Barr’s speech. Watch and decide for yourself: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqknuqy2lo0&w=560&h=315] Here are a few quick thoughts: Barr is correct about the founding father’s view of the relationship between religion and the American...
George Washington and American Jews
On August 18, 2019, Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island had its 72nd annual reading of George Washington’s letter to this Jewish congregation. The speaker that day was Jed Rakoff, a United States District Judge for the Southern District of...
Episode 50: The Religious Beliefs of the Adams Family
Don’t be confused by the title, we are not talking about the spooky family from the 1960s. Rather, in this episode, we turn to the religious history of one of America’s founding families. By focusing on the Adams family, one...
George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, 18 August 1790
In August 1790, President George Washington, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, and others traveled to Rhode Island. On August 18, they stopped at the Touro Synagogue in Newport. Later in the day, Washington wrote this letter to the congregation: Gentlemen....
*The New York Times* on Jeff Sessions and Romans 13
It’s been a crazy day. Last night I was wrapping-up some writing on the Southern Baptist Convention, trying to finish some end-of- the-academic-year paperwork, scheduling some blog posts, and preparing for the Believe Me book tour. Then Jeff Sessions referenced Romans 13...
*Was America Founded as a Christian Nation* (Revised Edition) is Now Easier to Find
Several of you have mentioned that it was hard to find the revised edition of Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?: A Historical Introduction on Amazon. We have fixed the problem and the book is now easily accessible through an...
Trump and Huckabee Do American History
I am not really sure where to begin with this video. [vimeo 262405259 w=640 h=360] Let’s take, for example, the scene of Lee and Grant shaking hands at Appomattox. How can this be interpreted apart from Trump’s famous “very fine...
My Podcast Conversation with Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers
Bob Crawford plays bass for the Avett Brothers. (I have also learned that the Avett Brothers are big deal). He also has a history and theology podcast called The Road to Now. Bob recently invited me on the podcast to...
Thank You “Otter”
I recently read this Amazon review of my Was America Founded as a Christian Nation”: A Historical Introduction. It is written by someone who goes by the name “Otter.” He or she titled the review “Equal Opportunity Disorientation.” I have no...
Religious Freedom in Historical Context
Over at Religion Dispatches, Frederick Clarkson interviews John Ragosta, the author of Religious Freedom: Jefferson’s Legacy, America’s Creed (University of Virginia Press, 2013). January 16th is Religious Freedom Day. Here is a taste of the interview: Clarkston: What’s most striking to...
Christ Church in Alexandria is a Church, Not a Museum
In case you have not heard, an Episcopalian church in Alexandria, Virginia is taking down a plaque memorializing George Washington. When Christ Church opened in 1773, Washington owned a pew. He attended the church whenever he was in town to...