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Christianity and the Constitution: The Faith of Our Founding Fathers
Using the writings of the founders and records of their conversations and activities, John Eidsmoe demonstrates the influence of Christianity on the political convictions of the founding fathers.
474 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
About the author
John Eidsmoe
26 books13 followersJohn Eidsmoe is a frequent lecturer and debater at colleges, universities, churches, and civics groups. As a constitutional attorney, he has successfully litigated court cases involving First Amendment religious freedom and has defended home education and Christian schools, championed the right of students and teachers to study the Bible in public schools, debated ACLU attorneys on radio and television, and served on the Ten Commandments Legal Defense Team. He is an ordained pastor in the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, and with his family (he and his wife have been married over 30 years, have three children: David, Kirsten and Justin) he lives in rural Pike Road, Alabama.
He holds five degrees in law, theology, and political science. These include two doctorates, one in law from the University of Iowa, and one in ministry from the Oral Roberts University. He earned his Masters of Divinity degree from Lutheran Brethern Seminary and his Master of Arts degree in biblical studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. His Bachelor of Arts degree in political science is from St. Olaf College. He is also a graduate of the Air Command & Staff College and the Air War College.
He has taught legal history and church history at law schools and seminaries. He currently serves as a professer of constitutional law and related subjects at the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, Faulkner University, Montgomery, Alabama, where his students have twice given him the Outstanding Professor Award. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Birmingham Theological Seminary. A constitutional attorney and retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Colonel Eidsmoe has also taught church history and other subjects in various seminaries.
He has authored 12 books, including Christianity & the Constitution, Columbus & Cortez, and the video series titled The Institute on the Constitution. A Second Degree Black Belt with the American Taekwondo Foundation, Colonel Eidsmoe also serves as Regional Representative for the Gospel Martial Arts Union, is an avid horseman and skier, and tries to get 8 hours of sleep every week.
John Eidsmoe brings to this study the combined disciplines of the soldier, jurist, theologian, and historian. A retired Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and a Colonel in the Alabama State Defense Force, Eidsmoe is an Adjunct Professor for the Oak Brook College of Law & Government Policy, for the Handong International Law School in South Korea, and for the Institute of Lutheran Theology.
He holds five degrees in law, theology, and political science. These include two doctorates, one in law from the University of Iowa, and one in ministry from the Oral Roberts University. He earned his Masters of Divinity degree from Lutheran Brethern Seminary and his Master of Arts degree in biblical studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. His Bachelor of Arts degree in political science is from St. Olaf College. He is also a graduate of the Air Command & Staff College and the Air War College.
He has taught legal history and church history at law schools and seminaries. He currently serves as a professer of constitutional law and related subjects at the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, Faulkner University, Montgomery, Alabama, where his students have twice given him the Outstanding Professor Award. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Birmingham Theological Seminary. A constitutional attorney and retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Colonel Eidsmoe has also taught church history and other subjects in various seminaries.
He has authored 12 books, including Christianity & the Constitution, Columbus & Cortez, and the video series titled The Institute on the Constitution. A Second Degree Black Belt with the American Taekwondo Foundation, Colonel Eidsmoe also serves as Regional Representative for the Gospel Martial Arts Union, is an avid horseman and skier, and tries to get 8 hours of sleep every week.
John Eidsmoe brings to this study the combined disciplines of the soldier, jurist, theologian, and historian. A retired Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and a Colonel in the Alabama State Defense Force, Eidsmoe is an Adjunct Professor for the Oak Brook College of Law & Government Policy, for the Handong International Law School in South Korea, and for the Institute of Lutheran Theology.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 5, 2013
I had the privilege of sitting next to Col. John Eidsmoe at a Confederate Heritage conference some years ago. We discussed this book.
The book is valuable in a historical and evidential sense. I've debated humanists on these points for years and I can always get them to confess that history and the facts are on my side (for example, if separation of church and state means what you think it means, then explain why many New England states had established churches in the mid 1800s. Good luck). I've come to the conclusion, recently though, that it doesn't matter. While facts, logic, and history are on my side (and Col. Eidsmoe's), the humanists have the power of the courts and the media on their side. In the War for America today it will take more than facts and evidence to win.
As to specifics, Col. Eidsmoe does a good job in demonstrating that the book of Deuteronomy comprises over 23% of the Founding Fathers' legal sources. Therefore, if separation of church and state means what you think it means, then explain why this is the case. Good luck.
The book is somewhat dated, though, as Col. Eidsmoe admits. Still, it provided a valuable service to Christian families who faced legal battles and jail time for not educating their children according to the dictates of the Lord High State.
The book is valuable in a historical and evidential sense. I've debated humanists on these points for years and I can always get them to confess that history and the facts are on my side (for example, if separation of church and state means what you think it means, then explain why many New England states had established churches in the mid 1800s. Good luck). I've come to the conclusion, recently though, that it doesn't matter. While facts, logic, and history are on my side (and Col. Eidsmoe's), the humanists have the power of the courts and the media on their side. In the War for America today it will take more than facts and evidence to win.
As to specifics, Col. Eidsmoe does a good job in demonstrating that the book of Deuteronomy comprises over 23% of the Founding Fathers' legal sources. Therefore, if separation of church and state means what you think it means, then explain why this is the case. Good luck.
The book is somewhat dated, though, as Col. Eidsmoe admits. Still, it provided a valuable service to Christian families who faced legal battles and jail time for not educating their children according to the dictates of the Lord High State.
September 16, 2017
Listen you aren't going to be taught this stuff in your public (government) schools and you aren't going to be taught this is 99% of universities. So you have to seek the truth out by yourself. The Christian faith and the ethics/worldview derived from it has had a direct influence in the formation of this nation. This truth has been engineered out of us and that's why books like these that offer a survey of the Christian influence on this nation and it's founders is important. This offers an honest insight to how our founders were influenced by Christianity and what they thought of faith in the public square, personal views on Christian morality, the bible, Jesus, etc. Clearly not all of our founders were Christians, but they clearly viewed religion as an asset to liberty and not an enemy. How opposite to how many of our leaders think today. Read this book, buy it, and equip yourself.
November 25, 2010
This book does a marvelous job of helping one to see the true principles and beliefs behind the founding of our nation. This book uses numerous original documents. It is not dependent on interpretation as one is able to read the original documents for themselves. The read can become a bit dry at times, but it is well worth the read. If you have every been curious about the true beliefs of our most influential founders, this is a must read!
October 23, 2008
I learned that many of our Founding Fathers had faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and believed in Jesus Christ as his Son.
Also that there is not a doubt that this nation was founded upon Judeo-Christian Values despite what the moderm Media would have us thinK.
Great insight of the lives of the Founding Fathers.
Also that there is not a doubt that this nation was founded upon Judeo-Christian Values despite what the moderm Media would have us thinK.
Great insight of the lives of the Founding Fathers.
April 12, 2023
Christianity and the Constitution was written by John Eidsmoe in an effort to refute the assertion by contemporary secularists that those who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution shared their indifference to Christianity.
The effort succeeds. Toward the end of the eighteenth century the passions unleashed by the Protestant Reformation had largely subsided in Europe and the Americas. Nevertheless, nearly all of our Founding Fathers had definite Protestant affiliations.
Eidsmore mentions Dr. M.E. Bradford of the University of Dallas, who has studied those who signed the Constitution. He writes: “Bradford’s list includes 28 Episcopalians, 8 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Roman Catholics, and 3 deists.”
Although Episcopalians make up slightly more than half of the list, Eidsmoe devotes more attention to Calvinism, claiming, “by 1769 the Episcopal church had become largely Calvinistic.”
As an Episcopalian I disagree. During the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century John Calvin portrayed God as a hanging judge who delights in sentencing sinners to Hell. The God I was taught to believe in and love as a child is a loving father, who forgives sins.
The Pilgrims who first came to what became Massachusetts were Separatists. These were more extreme Protestants than the Church of England, and had left the Church of England. They were soon followed by Puritans who outnumbered them. Puritans were strict Calvinists, who wanted to make the Church of England more Calvinist.
Eidsmoe likes the Calvinists, although he does not describe them in ways that make them appealing to me. They hanged those they thought were witches, flogged Quakers, and were in general, enthusiasts for religious persecution of non Puritans.
Eidsmoe does not discuss Predestination. This was John Calvin’s doctrine that at the beginning of time God selected a small minority of his elect who would go to Heaven. The rest would go to Hell, regardless of how virtuous they were, and how often they attended church. There was no changing the sentence of the Divine Hanging Judge. John Calvin also believed that the elect would be prosperous in this life.
Predestination is amply refuted by the parable of the Prodigal Son. After wasting his patrimony in sinful living, the prodigal son is forgiven.
Predestination is also refuted by Ezekiel, who wrote 18:21–23 “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”
Jesus’ attitude toward the rich is explained in the following passages from the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
By the time of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 Calvinism had soften to an insistence on integrity and chastity. Nevertheless, a few Presbyterians still believe in Predestination. One of these was D. James Kennedy, who wrote the foreword to Christianity and the Constitution. Kennedy was a right wing televangelist whose services at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale were broadcast nationwide.
In one of his sermons he praised the doctrine of Predestination, and wondered why more Presbyterian pastors did not do so in their sermons. I think it is because Predestination is a repellant doctrine that can easily be refuted Biblically.
Deism was a way of thinking that was fashionable among some educated people during the eighteenth century in Europe and the United States. Deism was the belief that God created the universe, decreed the scientific laws by which it operated, and obeyed his laws. In other words, miracles do not happen.
Eidsmoe claims that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were deists, although both were raised as Christians, and seem to have believed in life after death. Benjamin Franklin advocated beginning every session of the Constitutional Convention with a prayer.
Thomas Jefferson contributed financially to an Episcopal church near his home, Monticello, and occasionally attended services at that church. When Jefferson ran for president Federalists claimed that if he was elected president the Bible would be banned, churches would be burned down, and vast numbers of women would be raped. Naturally none of this happened. What did happen was that President Jefferson attended services every Sunday at an Episcopal church near to the White House. Like President Clinton, he made sure reporters saw him do it.
Toward the end of his book Eidsmoe presents typical Republican complaints about our political situation: the government is too big, the Supreme Court is too strong, etc.
Nevertheless, Eidsmoe wrote, “A Christian renewal seems to be blossoming today. The resurgence of patriotism, along with the movement back to traditional values, are signs of hope that a free society will continue.”
He believed that because Ronald Reagan, who seldom attended church, was president. Now people of Eidsmoe’s persuasion believe even less plausibly that President Trump will somehow fill the pews, while persuading Americans to “just say no” to sex outside of marriage.
Although nearly all of our Founding Fathers were Christians, they were aware that the American people were religiously diverse, and that disputes over religion would be divisive. We should keep that in mind now.
The effort succeeds. Toward the end of the eighteenth century the passions unleashed by the Protestant Reformation had largely subsided in Europe and the Americas. Nevertheless, nearly all of our Founding Fathers had definite Protestant affiliations.
Eidsmore mentions Dr. M.E. Bradford of the University of Dallas, who has studied those who signed the Constitution. He writes: “Bradford’s list includes 28 Episcopalians, 8 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Roman Catholics, and 3 deists.”
Although Episcopalians make up slightly more than half of the list, Eidsmoe devotes more attention to Calvinism, claiming, “by 1769 the Episcopal church had become largely Calvinistic.”
As an Episcopalian I disagree. During the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century John Calvin portrayed God as a hanging judge who delights in sentencing sinners to Hell. The God I was taught to believe in and love as a child is a loving father, who forgives sins.
The Pilgrims who first came to what became Massachusetts were Separatists. These were more extreme Protestants than the Church of England, and had left the Church of England. They were soon followed by Puritans who outnumbered them. Puritans were strict Calvinists, who wanted to make the Church of England more Calvinist.
Eidsmoe likes the Calvinists, although he does not describe them in ways that make them appealing to me. They hanged those they thought were witches, flogged Quakers, and were in general, enthusiasts for religious persecution of non Puritans.
Eidsmoe does not discuss Predestination. This was John Calvin’s doctrine that at the beginning of time God selected a small minority of his elect who would go to Heaven. The rest would go to Hell, regardless of how virtuous they were, and how often they attended church. There was no changing the sentence of the Divine Hanging Judge. John Calvin also believed that the elect would be prosperous in this life.
Predestination is amply refuted by the parable of the Prodigal Son. After wasting his patrimony in sinful living, the prodigal son is forgiven.
Predestination is also refuted by Ezekiel, who wrote 18:21–23 “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”
Jesus’ attitude toward the rich is explained in the following passages from the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
By the time of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 Calvinism had soften to an insistence on integrity and chastity. Nevertheless, a few Presbyterians still believe in Predestination. One of these was D. James Kennedy, who wrote the foreword to Christianity and the Constitution. Kennedy was a right wing televangelist whose services at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale were broadcast nationwide.
In one of his sermons he praised the doctrine of Predestination, and wondered why more Presbyterian pastors did not do so in their sermons. I think it is because Predestination is a repellant doctrine that can easily be refuted Biblically.
Deism was a way of thinking that was fashionable among some educated people during the eighteenth century in Europe and the United States. Deism was the belief that God created the universe, decreed the scientific laws by which it operated, and obeyed his laws. In other words, miracles do not happen.
Eidsmoe claims that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were deists, although both were raised as Christians, and seem to have believed in life after death. Benjamin Franklin advocated beginning every session of the Constitutional Convention with a prayer.
Thomas Jefferson contributed financially to an Episcopal church near his home, Monticello, and occasionally attended services at that church. When Jefferson ran for president Federalists claimed that if he was elected president the Bible would be banned, churches would be burned down, and vast numbers of women would be raped. Naturally none of this happened. What did happen was that President Jefferson attended services every Sunday at an Episcopal church near to the White House. Like President Clinton, he made sure reporters saw him do it.
Toward the end of his book Eidsmoe presents typical Republican complaints about our political situation: the government is too big, the Supreme Court is too strong, etc.
Nevertheless, Eidsmoe wrote, “A Christian renewal seems to be blossoming today. The resurgence of patriotism, along with the movement back to traditional values, are signs of hope that a free society will continue.”
He believed that because Ronald Reagan, who seldom attended church, was president. Now people of Eidsmoe’s persuasion believe even less plausibly that President Trump will somehow fill the pews, while persuading Americans to “just say no” to sex outside of marriage.
Although nearly all of our Founding Fathers were Christians, they were aware that the American people were religiously diverse, and that disputes over religion would be divisive. We should keep that in mind now.
December 4, 2025
This is a book of four chapters. The first 72 pages has his brilliant idea and the rest just summarizes the sources about the faith of each founding father. There is a third section to the book that I never read.
So what is his brilliant idea, you ask?
It’s that Calvinism as a theological concept led to freedom. It focused on the law, accepted human nature as totally depraved and led to a healthy skepticism that any human can rule without serving themselves.
Government according to James Madison is a reflection on human nature. Because of Calvin, the US Constitution gives us strict laws and strict punishments for criminal behavior. The founding fathers were not interested in utopian schemes where people work together for the common good. They set up checks and balances to prevent bad people from getting carried away by their own ideas.
Interestingly, Jewish law formed the basis for much of English commercial law because only they were willing to lend money.
Viking laws emphasized individual rights and it was noblemen who had lived under Viking laws that forced King John to sign the Magna Carta.
The founding fathers were inspired by accounts of Romans who overthrew tyrants but disappointed by Plato.
The Scottish Southerners made a huge contribution to the wording of the Declaration of Independence which Thomas Jefferson borrowed from when he wrote it.
So many people gave of their lives and fortune and so many previous thinkers contributed to the greatest idea that became the U S Constitution. This idea, born of hardship and loss, now guarantees protection and the opportunity to prosper to millions of people. It also inspires the rest of the world by its ideals. This book gives credit to those thinkers but ultimately comes back to the Bible.
The book that contains the law of God which forms the bedrock upon which people interact in a free society with each other is the Bible. Nothing else made sense and no other form of government was ever justly administered.
Freedom comes from living God’s laws first and the founding fathers knew it.
So what is his brilliant idea, you ask?
It’s that Calvinism as a theological concept led to freedom. It focused on the law, accepted human nature as totally depraved and led to a healthy skepticism that any human can rule without serving themselves.
Government according to James Madison is a reflection on human nature. Because of Calvin, the US Constitution gives us strict laws and strict punishments for criminal behavior. The founding fathers were not interested in utopian schemes where people work together for the common good. They set up checks and balances to prevent bad people from getting carried away by their own ideas.
Interestingly, Jewish law formed the basis for much of English commercial law because only they were willing to lend money.
Viking laws emphasized individual rights and it was noblemen who had lived under Viking laws that forced King John to sign the Magna Carta.
The founding fathers were inspired by accounts of Romans who overthrew tyrants but disappointed by Plato.
The Scottish Southerners made a huge contribution to the wording of the Declaration of Independence which Thomas Jefferson borrowed from when he wrote it.
So many people gave of their lives and fortune and so many previous thinkers contributed to the greatest idea that became the U S Constitution. This idea, born of hardship and loss, now guarantees protection and the opportunity to prosper to millions of people. It also inspires the rest of the world by its ideals. This book gives credit to those thinkers but ultimately comes back to the Bible.
The book that contains the law of God which forms the bedrock upon which people interact in a free society with each other is the Bible. Nothing else made sense and no other form of government was ever justly administered.
Freedom comes from living God’s laws first and the founding fathers knew it.
March 14, 2023
The United States Constitution is the guiding document that was used to set up the government. The government is divided into three areas: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial. This was done so no one person or activity can take control of the entire government. The Constitution is based on the Bible and subsequent thinkers such as Montesquieu, Locke, Blackstone, et al. In turn, the men who wrote the Constitution was steeped in religion with the Bible and their Calvinist-based religions which believe that people are inherently sinful. This sinfulness must be controlled with laws and punishments. Thirteen Founding Fathers are used to show how the people at that time were very religious and were not afraid to use their religion to write the Constitution. There was much compromising of which the two main issues were slavery and how the Legislative branch would operate with the House and Senate. However, over time, the Constitution has been weakened due to liberal influences so that almost anything can be justified with the Constitution. As a result, the Judicial branch must decide how laws will be interpreted and whether they are against the Constitution. It was not the intention of the Founding Fathers that any one branch be as powerful as the Judicial and the Executive are today.
This book explains with short biographies the thirteen most important Founding Fathers and how their religion was directly used to write the Constitution. It starts with a description of government theory at the beginning, then the biographies, then how the Constitution has developed over the centuries and not always based on the original intent of the Founding Fathers. The main message is the republic that was set up with the Constitution can only be viable if the people are not only moral, but also religious.
This book explains with short biographies the thirteen most important Founding Fathers and how their religion was directly used to write the Constitution. It starts with a description of government theory at the beginning, then the biographies, then how the Constitution has developed over the centuries and not always based on the original intent of the Founding Fathers. The main message is the republic that was set up with the Constitution can only be viable if the people are not only moral, but also religious.
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January 22, 2025Great book should be required high school reading along with a strong civics class. This book shows the tensions that existed for the founding fathers and their world view which was unmistakably Christian. Some had differing views but all work convinced of God and his law as basis for the new nation.
Many of the supposed references to them being non-Christian are explained and evidence shown from their own writings.
1st part of book is great on philosophies and religion that was the basis for founding fathers and USA. Calvinism was a huge part as well reformation and science.
Many of the supposed references to them being non-Christian are explained and evidence shown from their own writings.
1st part of book is great on philosophies and religion that was the basis for founding fathers and USA. Calvinism was a huge part as well reformation and science.
October 8, 2019
A very thorough writing on the ideologies of the founding fathers. An exact understanding of our Biblical and faith based beginning.
May 26, 2016
Did our founding fathers apply biblical principles to the framing of the Constitution? Are the Declaration and the Constitution really important and relevant for today? Are we to interpret the Constitution by means of original intent or treat it as a living, moving document that evolves as times change? John Eidsmoe, author of Christianity and the Constitution, answers these questions and explains the backgrounds of some of our founding fathers. This book explores the faith and moral convictions of our founding fathers and how their beliefs affected the ratification of the Constitution. I believe the author's goal in writing the book was to demonstrate to Americans that even though all of the framers of the Constitution may not have been Christians they all believed in a supernatural God. Also, to illustrate the foundational principles of the Constitution, and where they originated. I believe the book was written for every American citizen, especially those who know nothing about our nation's Constitution.
In Christianity and the Constitution John Eidsmoe beautifully illustrates Christianity's influence, and the acknowledgement of God, in the success and prosperity of America. Eidsmoe talked about how, those of our founding fathers who were not Christians, expressed gratitude for Christianity's influence within their nation. Although, we cannot know for sure who, among the framers of our Constitution, were Christians, or even if the majority were, Eidsmoe brings out the fact that they all had religious convictions, they all believed in a God, and that the basic goal of the Constitution's framers was liberty. They all wanted liberty, and many of the delegates from various states prayed for the success of the Constitutional Convention. Eidsmoe also discussed and explained the relationship and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. One other thing that the author hits on is the necessity of Christians being involved in every sphere of society, from politics, medicine, media, etc., so as to preserve our nation's foundation, and to be salt and light.
I think the author achieved his goal very well, because he so eloquently explained the origins of the biblical principles that are at the foundation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. I loved how Eidsmoe explained the relationship and similarities between the Declaration and the Constitution. He asserts, (on page 361) that, “The Declaration is a statement of the basic American values or principles: equality, God-given rights. The Constitution is the means by which these rights are to be secured: a federal republic.... The Declaration is the foundation; the Constitution is the structure built on that foundation.” Exploring the backgrounds and beliefs of some of our founding fathers was interesting. Despite the background, and up bringing of each, they were able to come together and discuss a way to either amend or replace the Articles of Confederation. It's so amazing to see that in the midst of many arguments and disagreements among the states at the Convention, our Constitution was eventually ratified in 1787, and has ever since been an important part of our nation's history. From crafting the Declaration to the Constitution our founding fathers gave up a lot for the security of future generations, so we can be free and have liberty. Lives were lost and possessions damaged, all for the cause of liberty.
The most important thing that I learned from the book that I want to remember is the many biblical principles that are found in both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, (pages 362-377).
In Christianity and the Constitution John Eidsmoe beautifully illustrates Christianity's influence, and the acknowledgement of God, in the success and prosperity of America. Eidsmoe talked about how, those of our founding fathers who were not Christians, expressed gratitude for Christianity's influence within their nation. Although, we cannot know for sure who, among the framers of our Constitution, were Christians, or even if the majority were, Eidsmoe brings out the fact that they all had religious convictions, they all believed in a God, and that the basic goal of the Constitution's framers was liberty. They all wanted liberty, and many of the delegates from various states prayed for the success of the Constitutional Convention. Eidsmoe also discussed and explained the relationship and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. One other thing that the author hits on is the necessity of Christians being involved in every sphere of society, from politics, medicine, media, etc., so as to preserve our nation's foundation, and to be salt and light.
I think the author achieved his goal very well, because he so eloquently explained the origins of the biblical principles that are at the foundation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. I loved how Eidsmoe explained the relationship and similarities between the Declaration and the Constitution. He asserts, (on page 361) that, “The Declaration is a statement of the basic American values or principles: equality, God-given rights. The Constitution is the means by which these rights are to be secured: a federal republic.... The Declaration is the foundation; the Constitution is the structure built on that foundation.” Exploring the backgrounds and beliefs of some of our founding fathers was interesting. Despite the background, and up bringing of each, they were able to come together and discuss a way to either amend or replace the Articles of Confederation. It's so amazing to see that in the midst of many arguments and disagreements among the states at the Convention, our Constitution was eventually ratified in 1787, and has ever since been an important part of our nation's history. From crafting the Declaration to the Constitution our founding fathers gave up a lot for the security of future generations, so we can be free and have liberty. Lives were lost and possessions damaged, all for the cause of liberty.
The most important thing that I learned from the book that I want to remember is the many biblical principles that are found in both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, (pages 362-377).
June 21, 2013
According to a Newsweek study 70% of Americans don’t know that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Or that Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s rights - or that John Boehner is the Speaker of the House of Representatives! And that is a problem specifically because the freedoms we all enjoy as Americans are apt to be lost in this sea of ignorance. So I recommend that you put John Eidsmoe’s book, “Christianity and the Constitution: The Faith of Our Founding Fathers” on your reading list.
Dr. Eidsmoe divides his study into three parts: the first is a study of the philosophical and theological roots of America’s founding followed by an examination of thirteen of the Founding Fathers and how those roots impacted their thinking. He concludes with an examination entitled, “The Constitution: Then and Now” which outlines the vast distance we have traveled since our founding.
The first surprise is that ideological father of America is not George Washington or Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin – but John Calvin! Eidsmoe shows fully “two-thirds of the colonial population had been trained in the school of Calvin.” And that fact underscored the very essence of Americanism. To begin with, the Calvinistic notion of the “total depravity” of man (based on Genesis 6:5) required the extensive system of “checks and balances” that are built into the DNA of the American government. Secondly, the notion Calvin promoted of the “priesthood of all believers” required everyone to be conversant in the biblical principles upon which this country was founded. And this required that everyone be able to read the Bible and hence to read generally. This produced the highest literacy rate in the then known world. Lastly, Eidsmoe shows how the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura – the doctrine that the Word of God is the sole, infallible standard for faith and morals – produced an objectivity in the nature of law at the time. One of the master strokes of Eidsmoe’s work is his documenting of America’s departure from this idea of an objective standard of law into something that looks at the Constitution as a “living document”. That concept was foreign to the Founders precisely because of Calvin’s influence but has crept in to American life through the influence of other religions which hold that “objective truth” can be determined outside of God’s Word through the functioning of a human magisterium, quorum or other governing body.
I suspect that the respondents to the Newsweek survey are much less acquainted with the work of John Calvin than they were with that of the Founders. But I believe that recent history proves the worst fears of those Founders – that a government unchecked becomes tyrannical and that the best check against tyranny is an educated, Calvinistic society. Whatever your take on the matter, this book provides myriad insights into what gave the world the greatest government in history. And it is to be hoped that more than 30% of us would avail ourselves of that understanding.
Dr. Eidsmoe divides his study into three parts: the first is a study of the philosophical and theological roots of America’s founding followed by an examination of thirteen of the Founding Fathers and how those roots impacted their thinking. He concludes with an examination entitled, “The Constitution: Then and Now” which outlines the vast distance we have traveled since our founding.
The first surprise is that ideological father of America is not George Washington or Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin – but John Calvin! Eidsmoe shows fully “two-thirds of the colonial population had been trained in the school of Calvin.” And that fact underscored the very essence of Americanism. To begin with, the Calvinistic notion of the “total depravity” of man (based on Genesis 6:5) required the extensive system of “checks and balances” that are built into the DNA of the American government. Secondly, the notion Calvin promoted of the “priesthood of all believers” required everyone to be conversant in the biblical principles upon which this country was founded. And this required that everyone be able to read the Bible and hence to read generally. This produced the highest literacy rate in the then known world. Lastly, Eidsmoe shows how the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura – the doctrine that the Word of God is the sole, infallible standard for faith and morals – produced an objectivity in the nature of law at the time. One of the master strokes of Eidsmoe’s work is his documenting of America’s departure from this idea of an objective standard of law into something that looks at the Constitution as a “living document”. That concept was foreign to the Founders precisely because of Calvin’s influence but has crept in to American life through the influence of other religions which hold that “objective truth” can be determined outside of God’s Word through the functioning of a human magisterium, quorum or other governing body.
I suspect that the respondents to the Newsweek survey are much less acquainted with the work of John Calvin than they were with that of the Founders. But I believe that recent history proves the worst fears of those Founders – that a government unchecked becomes tyrannical and that the best check against tyranny is an educated, Calvinistic society. Whatever your take on the matter, this book provides myriad insights into what gave the world the greatest government in history. And it is to be hoped that more than 30% of us would avail ourselves of that understanding.
July 17, 2008
I'm currently reading this book and highly recommend it. It is easy to read for someone like myself without a professional background in either religion or law. It begins by providing background information on the Calvinism, Puritanism, Deism, Freemasonry, Science, Law and Government that defined the historical context for tthe Constitution. Of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, there were 28 Episcopalians, 8 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 3 Deists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, and 2 Roman Catholics. It provides evidence showing that the bedrock that the Founding Fathers built on included the Bible, the source of 34% of the their citations. It then moves on to introduce a representative selection of the Founding Fathers that incldues John Witherspoon, James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Gouverneur Morris, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Patrick Henry, Roger Sherman, and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. The book concludes by discussing the Constitutional Convention, the Biblical principles found in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution, and considering the future course of the country in light of its origins and path of development. It is a good reference book and worth reading even for those who may not agree with all of the author's political goals since it includes excellent appendices that provide the full texts of The Treaty of Tripoli, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Articles of Confederation. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in Christianity, the Constitution, or colonial and early American history.
June 7, 2010
The Puritan background of the American Founding Fathers helped form our nation's strong foundation. Puritans placed a huge emphasis on educating the common man so that all could read and interpret a personal understanding of the Bible. This education played a huge role in establishing a nation based on freedom and self-government.
April 20, 2008
Very readable.
April 18, 2012
A fantastic read that blows the lid right off of the "deist" myth concerning our Founding Fathers.
June 8, 2012
Still reading however I'm learning a lot. Great read if you would like to understand our Founding Fathers.
April 18, 2017
This is the best book I have read in years. This book takes the reader up close and personal with the ideals, dreams, and thoughts of the founding fathers. The founding fathers were not perfect, but their dream for "one nation under God", a nation founded upon the principles of the Bible, was the best ever embarked upon by mankind. This book traces the development of earlier thinkers such as John Locke who outlined the basic rights of people. The book takes each part of the constitution and shows its early formation from dreams of peasants to reality in America. Ultimately, the book takes each of the more outstanding founding fathers, from Thomas Jefferson to John Jay and Patrick Henry, quoting from original sources what their true thoughts were concerning God, the Bible, and Christianity, and how they applied their beliefs to the framework of America. If you want to know more about our founding fathers and their true thoughts, read this book, fully documented, rather than depending upon modern history revisionists. I cannot over-emphasize the importance and greatness of this book!
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