Author: Barton, David
Genre:
Tags:
Series:
Rick Shrader‘s Review:
David Barton is a well-known writer on America’s heritage. He is the founder of Wall Builders, “an organization dedicated to presenting America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious, and constitutional heritage” (on book flap). This small book was first written in 1993 and reprinted in 2007. The views (by believers) on America’s founders can be divided into at least three types: 1) Almost all were born-again believers (Barton’s view); 2) They were all Christian in the Christendom sense (Mark David Hall’s view); 3) Most were not true believers and were, rather, theistic rationalists but good men who wrote a great constitution (Gregg Frazer’s view). Barton says,“Few today know that virtually every one of the fifty-five Founding Fathers who framed the Constitution were members of orthodox Christian churches and that many were outspoken evangelicals” (p. 8). Also,“Furthermore, abundant documentary evidence proves that the general principles of Christianity were indeed firmly embraced by the vast majority of our Founding Fathers and those principles formed the foundation of American government” (p. 17). The weakness of the view is the imprecise language when quoting the founders to show that they were true believers. For example, Washington’s Farewell Address is often quoted where he said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable” (p. 22). But the ideals of “religion” and “morality” are exactly what Frazer critizises as broad categories to which almost any moral person can ascribe (notice the description of Wall Builders). Barton is good at giving historical examples of America’s “Christian” heritage in appealing to God, Scripture, and moral ideals. He does show that America was a nation founded by men who ascribed to Christianity, inclusive of all forms and branches.
In an interesting account, Barton tells of when a young George Washington was leading his Virginia Buckskins against French and Indian troops at Fort Cumberland in 1775, he was fired upon several times but no bullet ever touched him though four bullet holes were found in his jacket. Washington later said, “I now exist and appear in the land of the living by the miraculous care of Providence that protected me beyond all human expectation.” One cannot help but compare that incident to President Trump’s near assassination which he attributed to God’s preservation, the assumption being a sign of spiritual regeneration. The response of others is that God has often used good but unregenerated men to bless and lead a nation for His own blessing and purposes. A judgment is called for from either point of view.