Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth

Mark David Hall

3.99 · Rating details · 138 ratings · 34 reviews

A distinguished professor debunks the assertion that America's Founders were deists who desired the strict separation of church and state and instead shows that their political ideas were profoundly influenced by their Christian convictions.

In 2010, David Mark Hall gave a lecture at the Heritage Foundation entitled "Did America Have a Christian Founding?" His balanced and ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published October 29th 2019 by Thomas Nelson

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Did America Have a Christian Founding?, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Did America Have a Christian Founding?

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.99 ·

Rating details

· 138 ratings · 34 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth

Feb 28, 2020 Douglas Wilson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history

The title asks the question, and the book answers it in the affirmative. The answer is definitive. Great book.

flag 37 likes · Like · see review

Nov 04, 2019 Ben House rated it it was amazing

Shelves: american-history, history, politics, cultural-apologetics

For me, the issue was settled back in 1975 when I first started reading about the Calvinistic influence on American history. There was a history professor at our local community college who was the most scholarly teacher on staff and a thorough-going Calvinist. A friend told me to take his class because "he teaches the Five Points of Calvinism, and you need to know that for American literature." She was right, for American literature is a tug of war between Calvinists (beginning with the Puritan For me, the issue was settled back in 1975 when I first started reading about the Calvinistic influence on American history. There was a history professor at our local community college who was the most scholarly teacher on staff and a thorough-going Calvinist. A friend told me to take his class because "he teaches the Five Points of Calvinism, and you need to know that for American literature." She was right, for American literature is a tug of war between Calvinists (beginning with the Puritans) and those retreating from Calvinism (from Hawthorne to Twain to Crane to Hemingway).
Since 1975, the issue has been raised in a number of ways regarding the question of America's founding. Did America have a Christian founding? By founding, do we mean colonial America or the independent American Republic? What does it mean that America did or did not have a Christian founding? And, what difference does it make now?
I am guessing that I have read or heard over 100 full length books, essays, and lectures on the topic of Christianity and America. I even gave a few of those lectures and have written on it myself in my book. So, Mark David Hall's newest book Did America Have a Christian Founding?, published by Nelson Books, is a welcome guest to the discussion. But Dr. Hall is not a late arrival to the party. He has written and contributed to more than a dozen books on the relationship between religion and politics. These studies include a thorough study of Roger Sherman, who is often overlooked among the Founders and yet was a solid believer. This book, therefore, is not an author's exploration of new ground, but rather the scholarly contribution of one who has combed the sources repeatedly.
I will not at this time attempt a chapter by chapter survey of the book, but will instead focus just a bit on the opening chapter. The issue is Deism. I once heard someone say, "Whether history repeats itself is not clear, but historians repeat each other." Both specialized books and monographs and history textbooks assure us that by the time of the American War for Independence and the writing of the Constitution, Deism had supplanted Christianity as the prevailing religious and philosophical worldview. And, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Washington, and a few other key figures were all basically card-carrying Deists.
This whole contention is problematic. (I have long waited to use that stuffy word "problematic.") There was not a denomination or church group that adhered to the title Deist, but that is not the real issue. The language attributed to Deism and that attributed to Christianity is identical at points. I might say, "It is going to rain today." One might interpret that to mean that I believe that the falling of rain is not the direct intervention and providential control of weather by God, but is the acting of laws of nature that God created, but doesn't direct minutely. Should I say, "God is going to send rain today"? Nothing wrong with that. As James 4:15 points out, we ought to couch all of our language in terms that indicate God's present, active control.
I don't think James is giving us a directive so that we have to be this mechanical. But there should be an underlying presupposition, a worldview, a philosophy of life, that indicates and reinforces our conviction of God's presence. Yet, the Founders were not writing about an "it" or a force or laws of nature. They used terms like Providence, Governor of the Universe, Architect of the world, and so on. This language was no more denying orthodox Christianity than my saying "Jesus is Lord" denies the Trinity.
A few people of the time did prescribe to Deism. These included such men as Ethan Allen and Thomas Paine. Allen, best known now for his name being attached to furniture, played a minimal role (heroic though it was) in the war. Paine was a brilliant, quirky wordsmith with erratic tendencies. The "best known" Deists, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, were either the two worst Deistic hypocrites of all time or were personally inconsistent in their practice. R. J. Rushdoony demolished the myth of Franklin's and Jefferson's Deism for me when I read the first of This Independent Republic decades ago.
Dr. Hall begins each chapter with a list of quotations from prominent historians and sources that go against his theses. He provides more quotes and references in the ample endnotes to the book. Then, he begins systematically answering and refuting the claims. There are no strawmen here. The best and most reputable scholars only are allowed in the ring in these matches.
I highly recommend this book. If you are a history teacher or student, get it immediately. If you are a pastor, get it quickly. If you are a patriot, get it soon. If you cannot buy it right now, ask your personal Santa Claus for the book. Don't end 2019 without this work in your hands and on your shelf. ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Feb 29, 2020 Ben rated it really liked it

Shelves: history

With Did America Have a Christian Founding?, Mark David Hall has written a book that is as useful as it should be unnecessary. To anyone approaching the American founding (apologies to Russell Kirk) without ideological blinders, the religious faith of the founding generation is patently obvious. This is not to deny that there were varying levels of commitment to the Christian faith among that generation, nor that some prominent members of it held less orthodox views. But it cannot seriously be q ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2020 Thomas Mackie rated it it was ok

Shelves: civics, u-s-history

It is a dangerous proposition to critique a “distinguished professor” but I do so as a practicing historian in both public and academic worlds who also holds a Ph.D. in American History. Mark David Hall has attempted a history of the founding generation of America to prove that it had a Christian founding. My finding is Hall had ignored better research to satisfy the groups supporting Christian Nationalism. Coming from an evangelical and Christian nationalist background myself, I understand how It is a dangerous proposition to critique a “distinguished professor” but I do so as a practicing historian in both public and academic worlds who also holds a Ph.D. in American History. Mark David Hall has attempted a history of the founding generation of America to prove that it had a Christian founding. My finding is Hall had ignored better research to satisfy the groups supporting Christian Nationalism. Coming from an evangelical and Christian nationalist background myself, I understand how tempting it is to embrace this interpretation. However, the founding era is much more complex than Dr. Hall depicts, and it shows a lack of long-term research into the nature of public Christianity and cultural history. It is better written and researched but it follows the “David Barton school of historiography.” He cherry-picks documents to prove his point instead of swimming in the documents as a whole AND reading previous works by those who spent decades in this field. It is not a history but an argument. It is written by a legitimate scholar but, working outside his area of expertise.
Colonial America was on the historical edge of what we call “Christendom”. A society was Christian because its leaders identified as such and supported a Church. The American Revolution generation was part of a society that was very Biblically literate, even if they ignored its commands. The elite of that age, who led the Revolution and drafted our founding documents, were a mixed bag of personalities influenced by their culture which included Christianity, Enlightenment writings, and old radical Whig ideals. I also reject the other side claimed that America was only radical and religiously unorthodox. It was both. Historian Mark Noll noted after his decades of research into American religious history that the United States was a very religious country, very religious but vaguely Christian. Better research into this theme has been provided by historians such as Mark Noll, Thomas S. Kidd, John D. Wilsey, John Butler, and John Fea.
...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

May 28, 2020 Jerry rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history, politics-government

Hall makes the briefest definitive case establishing America was founded by Christians and a few non-Christians happy to see Christianity voluntarily flourish. His discussion reveals how free speech, freedom of religion and more are part of a Christian founding. These values and freedoms are eroding as Christ and the church are marginalized.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 20, 2020 Justin rated it it was amazing

The evidence is so abundantly clear that Christianity had a direct influence on this nation. If we are to remain in denial its either by willful ignorance or deep commitments to revisionist history.

The author does an excellent evidence based job to display this historical reality. What really should be common knowledge based on primary historical sources.

Did our founders create a "theocracy?" Absolutely not. Did a Christianized people create this nation....no doubt about it. When John Adams sa The evidence is so abundantly clear that Christianity had a direct influence on this nation. If we are to remain in denial its either by willful ignorance or deep commitments to revisionist history.

The author does an excellent evidence based job to display this historical reality. What really should be common knowledge based on primary historical sources.

Did our founders create a "theocracy?" Absolutely not. Did a Christianized people create this nation....no doubt about it. When John Adams said " Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." No one from that era questioned what morality or religious perspective he meant.

When at the constitution convention Benjamin Franklin said "I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel." No one was ignorant of the allusions he uses, nor of the God he was referring to. Even though Franklin was not an orthodox Christian. He certainly wasn't a deist who believed God was so detached from America's creation.

This book is a direct and concise read. It rightly tackles the myths modern devout secularist lay upon our founding fathers and corrects those errors mostly with primary sources. I highly recommend it and view it as an important read as religious liberty seems to be on the chopping block by many elites. In truth our progressive friends don't realize that religious liberty gave way to the idea of tolerance. An ideal progressives claim to love......so long as they are the ones who only get to define it.

Pick this book up it's worth your time!

...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 05, 2020 Moses rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020

Hall speaks briefly about the tendency of the founders to speak about God with terms such as "Supreme Being" or "Divine Creator" without getting into the important history of deism and enlightenment Christianity that these terms often denote. Of course the founders were Christians in many ways - it is the SORT of Christian that they were that matters. Many Enlightenment Christians had very warm feelings about a sort of "rational religion," a mental process by which they accomplished in their min ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

May 28, 2020 Miles Smith rated it really liked it

Shelves: religion, revolutionary-constitutional-era, early-republic, law-politics

This is an excellent primer that pushes back on the idea of a deistic founding. It’s not meant to be a deep scholarly book. It’s written for laypeople. While I might quibble with a couple things here and there, Dr. Hall makes a great case that the Founders were in many ways convincingly Christian. I’m perhaps not as convinced they were particularly “interested” in religion, but to Dr Hall’s credit he states very clearly his aim is to show that the Founding was not deistic or secular. In that, he ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2020 Brice Karickhoff rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

Great book! For my review just see Noah Meyer’s review. Retweet everything he said!

Would suggest this book to anyone interested in how Christianity influenced the Founding Fathers as they built the ideological foundations of America

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 22, 2020 Jesse rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, politics

Yes, America had a Christian founding. Hall does a wonderful job defending and explaining it. He pulls out lots of key quotes and sources to support his argument. This is a key work for American Christians to read in order to understand our own country better and then work to maintain the liberties that we love: religious freedom, etc. Written interview with author here: https://crosspolitic.com/did-america-... ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2020 Miron T Boland added it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2020 Jeffrey rated it really liked it

Depends on how you use the word "Christian" when speaking of a "Christian" founding. If you're using the narrow concept of a nation with an established national, Christian church, then no. If you're talking about a country where everyone is apart of social, cultural Christianity, then no. If you're talking about a country where everyone is a regenerated, evangelical, then no.

However, if you're talking about a country where the basic presupposition of many major founders was that of a Christian w ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2020 Aaron Ventura rated it it was amazing

Excellent. Mark David Hall carefully weighs and defines in what sense America had a Christian founding. He demolishes the myth that the founders were simply deists who sought to erect an invisible wall of separation between church and state. Highly recommend!

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 01, 2020 Shawn Ritenour rated it really liked it

Excellent summary of American history on the topic. Hall successfully defends his thesis that while not even close to being a Theocracy, American did indeed have a Christian founding.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2020 Dann rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

A fascinating historical retrospective, Did America Have a Christian Founding? challenges the modern conception that the Founding Fathers were deists that intended to create a secular state. Author Mark David Hall looks at the lives of the Founders that are often cited as deists and sees if they actually fit that definition. He also examines who and what actually influenced the writing and passage of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. Additionally, Hall analyzes the actions of th ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2019 Jason rated it liked it

Hall contends "that an excellent case can be made that Christianity had a profound influence on the founding generation" (xxii). This is true beyond any reasonable doubt, and this book helpfully pulls together some of the evidence and presents it in a very readable manner. At the same time, however, the book doesn't really wrestle with key concepts. What counts as Christianity? What is religion? What is liberty? What is morality? It is one thing to say that the founders were influenced by Christ ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 11, 2021 Jacob Cartner rated it really liked it

In an age of growing public questioning about the degree to which America was founded upon Christian principles, this book is a timely rebuttal. Recent academic circles positing that the founding fathers were not Christian, but deists who believed that God did not intervene in the matters of men, and who argued for the strict separation of church and state, are refuted throughout this book by Mark David Hall, whose primary theses include attempts to debunk these myths.

As a prerequisite bias that In an age of growing public questioning about the degree to which America was founded upon Christian principles, this book is a timely rebuttal. Recent academic circles positing that the founding fathers were not Christian, but deists who believed that God did not intervene in the matters of men, and who argued for the strict separation of church and state, are refuted throughout this book by Mark David Hall, whose primary theses include attempts to debunk these myths.

As a prerequisite bias that could be ascertained simply by the book's subtitle, the author has an underlying motive of the preservation of religious liberty that permeates the book. To be sure, this coincides with my own personal convictions, and I especially enjoyed learning about the anecdotal facts presented herein. Unfortunately, I did find the degree to which objective evidence was appropriately cited to support these claims to be lacking throughout the book. The brief length of the book is a likely contributor to this shortcoming, and having just recently read David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize winning 'John Adams', and many of McCullough's other books on American history in which I felt like I learned far more about our founding fathers as compared to this work by Mark David Hall, I was a little disappointed. I believe the evidence supporting the author's claims to be even stronger than the arguments presented.

Nevertheless, the research provided that the United States constitution was indeed authored by Christian leaders, and that it even contains Christian language that is sometimes subtle yet other times obvious was a fascinating linguistic word study. Additionally, the author presents information regarding the religious backgrounds and intentions of founding fathers other than Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, two men known to have less religious fervor than their contemporaries, as if those were the only two founding fathers worth studying. Jefferson and Madison are disproportionately cited throughout most of today's skeptics who claim that America was not founded upon Christianity, and this imbalance has even permeated the United States judicial courts who set law precedence. Throughout the history of judicial opinion, First Amendment citations of Jefferson and Madison are given at a staggering ratio of 301 to 21 as compared to other just as influential founders such as Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, Benjamin Huntington, Abraham Baldwin, Elias Boudinot, William Paterson, Samuel Livermore, Charles Carroll, or Fisher Ames.

The sections of the book comparing state constitutions to the US constitution and the clarification that the founding fathers did indeed "borrow" this language, and that most of it was with religious liberty intentions, provided further evidence of our religious founding. Little known facts like that President Pierce, although not the only Quaker president in America's history, was the only president to not swear, but rather affirm, the oath of office due to his personal religious convictions were nice tidbits of trivia to learn. Or that other presidents, like John Quincy Adams, refused to swear on the Bible, but rather on a law book, were facts I found interesting. Many fallacies of interpretation, as often argued by those such as myself with a textualism bent, are discussed. Early fallacies, such as those associated with the Establishment Clause, and even more recent ones like the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and its applicability to federal or state law are presented.

In summary, I agree with most everything argued in this well written book. I simply wish that it's claims were a little bit more well cited; I found the brevity to be something that opponents could poke holes through. Religious liberty is not a code name for "discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy" as coined in 2016 by the Obama administration, and in order to combat that perverted view the public needs arguments backed with irrefutable substance. ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 01, 2020 Noah Meyer rated it really liked it

I read this book because I’ve increasingly heard that America is not a Christian nation, that the founders weren’t Christians, and that government should play no role whatsoever in the promotion of religion.

Like everyone else in my generation, I’ve heard the constant reiteration of Jefferson’s ‘wall between church and state’ and therefore any slight symbol of religion (Christianity) put forth by government, state or federal, should not be tolerated.

I’ve also heard that a majority of the key foun I read this book because I’ve increasingly heard that America is not a Christian nation, that the founders weren’t Christians, and that government should play no role whatsoever in the promotion of religion.

Like everyone else in my generation, I’ve heard the constant reiteration of Jefferson’s ‘wall between church and state’ and therefore any slight symbol of religion (Christianity) put forth by government, state or federal, should not be tolerated.

I’ve also heard that a majority of the key founders were not Christians, but Deists, and that the Enlightenment served a much larger role in the founding of America than did the Christian religion. This line of thinking is widespread even within the American church.

Finally, with some of the controversial court cases of our day, I’ve heard that the government should not allow for religious exemptions, particularly when those exemptions would have the appearance of discrimination.

I was sincerely impressed with how well Mark David Hall addresses every single one of these points. Throughout the entire book, he pulls from the founders’ letters, original state constitutions, first drafts of founding documents, presidential and congressional speeches, judicial opinions, etc. that very clearly articulate the general thinking of not only the founders, but the whole founding generation.

It is undoubtedly clear for example that virtually all of the founders were, if not Christians themselves, at least strong believers in the importance of Christianity holding a secure and prominent place in American society and that government (especially state and local governments) should promote and encourage religion (Christianity) and morality wherever possible without encroaching on the liberties of those with other faiths or no faith at all. And that this understanding was one of the most important factors in framing our nations most crucial documents, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

I could go on and discuss what Hall says about Christianity’s role in abolishing slavery in America or his comparisons to religious liberty today, but I can’t do justice for it all in the same way as the founders’ own words from which Hall cites. There is so much content packed into this small book that it is certainly a great resource for anyone looking to have a better understanding of the ideals our country was founded on.

The only reason I take away one star is because while I was reading I felt like he should have dived deeper into each argument. He provides enough evidence for a compelling case, and I realize the book would have be substantially longer if he had done this, so maybe I just wanted more idk.

Super good though and very enlightening. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 20, 2020 Bruce Morton rated it really liked it

Hall has provided a good corrective to the foundation for key political and religious decisions in our day that are based on a skewed view of early American history. He shows that a Christian worldview was very much a part of our Nation’s founding.

However, two weaknesses of his work are his minimal attention to the Declaration of Independence and to the Treaty of Tripoli. Scholars pressing for a broad Deist view of the founding pounce on the Treaty of Tripoli as evidence of their view. The Treat ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 20, 2021 Heather rated it liked it

Shelves: books-to-read-in-2021, history

His answer to the title was a pretty resounding YES! if you think of it as being influenced by Christian values and not as our founders necessarily having true faith in Jesus. This book is particularly a response to those who say our founders were mostly deists. He asserts that only one or two were.

Growing up I was exposed to the opposite: all our founders were Godly men, which I think is also exaggerated. I was thinking the book was going to deal with that misrepresentation so I struggled some ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 23, 2020 Kico Meirelles rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A relevant book
A good book that refreshes the origin of the foundation of America and its Christian’ principles. The book gains points by not trying to preach or to sell religion, but historically acknowledging the influence of Christian principles in the foundation of America and, in special, that came mainly from Christians the idea of separation of Church and State and that it does not mean, but actually reinforce, that the influence Christianity is present in, for example, how the Constituti ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 09, 2020 Nicholas rated it it was amazing

Mark David Hall gives an amazing historical look into this issue in a time when feelings and shallow ideas rule. Addressing the idea that one cannot define an entire time period by quick glimpses at a few people Hall lays out a well supported case based on historical facts and analysis.

The greatest sign of Halls credibility on this issue is how fair he is with every premise put forth by both sides of the issue. Hall calls out faulty logic on each side of the issue sticking to facts and logical d ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 24, 2020 Gabriel Jones rated it it was amazing

Fascinating, easy read. The author dismantles the arguments typical of secular contemporaries who want to re-write the founders as enlightenment minded deists who denied orthodox christian principles. In reality, they were in large part (not in every case) faithful, pious Christians who sought to maintain their biblical convictions and reflect those convictions by setting up what they believed to be a just, fair, and religiously tolerant government.

flag Like · see review

Jan 04, 2021 Michael Kelley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent, well-researched, clear.

This book is very well-researched and clearly examines the actual writings and practices of the founders to evince as false the common claim that the founders were deists. I particularly like the sections toward the beginning on Jefferson, especially the seal that he proposed with God leading the Israelites out of Egypt and the motto, "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." I would recommend this book to every history teacher, lawyer, and general Christian. ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 25, 2021 Maggie McKneely rated it really liked it

The next time I hear someone argue “but Jefferson wanted a wall between church and state!”, this is the book I will throw at...erm, kindly ask them to read.

Hall does an excellent job of undressing the most common arguments against a Christian founding and repudiating them in easy-to-understand terms. He uses the Founders’ own words and writings to make his points, which makes his points pretty indisputable. And it’s a short, digestible read, so well worth it.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 25, 2019 Kipp Miller rated it it was amazing

This book is an excellent tool to learn about America’s founding fathers and the truth behind their beliefs. Hall does a good job citing primary documents almost exclusively to support his points. Recommend it for people interested in debating the history of America.

flag Like · see review

Jun 15, 2020 David rated it really liked it

My first Audible Audiobook and a solid work of historical scholarship. My favorite part was Hall's repetition of the need to actually have evidence to make a historical claim. Hall does a good job amassing real evidence for his claims. ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 04, 2020 Phil rated it really liked it

Yes, it did. The book is relatively short since the thesis isn't difficult. ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 11, 2020 Derek Dupuis rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Informative. But nearly out my to sleep.

flag Like · see review

Dec 28, 2020 Kady rated it liked it

Informative and short, just like how I like my history books. I really liked the writing and the subject of the book.

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

History

37 users

North American Hi... > American History

11 users

Politics

7 users

Religion

6 users

Nonfiction

6 users

Law

4 users

Christian

3 users

Literature > American

2 users

Military History > American Revolution

2 users

See top shelves…

About Mark David Hall

Mark David Hall

12 followers

Mark David Hall, is Herbert Hoover Distinguished Professor of Politics and Faculty Fellow in the William Penn Honors Program at George Fox University.