Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers

Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers PDF

Author: Daniel L. Dreisbach

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-11-01

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 0199987955

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

No book was more accessible or familiar to the American founders than the Bible, and no book was more frequently alluded to or quoted from in the political discourse of the age. How and for what purposes did the founding generation use the Bible? How did the Bible influence their political culture? Shedding new light on some of the most familiar rhetoric of the founding era, Daniel Dreisbach analyzes the founders' diverse use of scripture, ranging from the literary to the theological. He shows that they looked to the Bible for insights on human nature, civic virtue, political authority, and the rights and duties of citizens, as well as for political and legal models to emulate. They quoted scripture to authorize civil resistance, to invoke divine blessings for righteous nations, and to provide the language of liberty that would be appropriated by patriotic Americans. Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers broaches the perennial question of whether the American founding was, to some extent, informed by religious--specifically Christian--ideas. In the sense that the founding generation were members of a biblically literate society that placed the Bible at the center of culture and discourse, the answer to that question is clearly "yes." Ignoring the Bible's influence on the founders, Dreisbach warns, produces a distorted image of the American political experiment, and of the concept of self-government on which America is built.

The Founders and the Bible

The Founders and the Bible PDF

Author: Carl J. Richard

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2016-03-25

Total Pages: 397

ISBN-13: 1442254653

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The religious beliefs of America’s founding fathers have been a popular and contentious subject for recent generations of American readers. In The Founders and the Bible, historian Carl J. Richard carefully examines the framers’ relationship with the Bible to assess the conflicting claims of those who argue that they were Christians founding a Christian nation against those who see them as Deists or modern secularists. Richard argues that it is impossible to understand the Founders without understanding the Biblically infused society that produced them. They were steeped in a biblical culture that pervaded their schools, homes, churches, and society. To show the fundamental role of religious beliefs during the Founding and early years of the republic, Richard carefully reconstructs the beliefs of 30 Founders; their lifelong engagements with Scripture; their biblically-infused political rhetoric; their powerful beliefs in a divine Providence that protected them and guided the young nation; their beliefs in the superiority of Christian ethics and in the necessity of religion to republican government; their beliefs in spiritual equality, free will, and the afterlife; their religious differences; the influence of their biblical conception of human nature on their formulation of state and federal constitutions; and their use of biblical precedent to advance religious freedom.

Created for Commitment

Created for Commitment PDF

Author: A. Wetherell Johnson

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Published: 1989-10-17

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13: 9780842304436

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This fascinating acount portrays God's power in the lfe and ministry of A. Wetherell Johnson, from her overseas mission work to the founding and remarkable growth of Bible Study Fellowship.

Did America Have a Christian Founding?

Did America Have a Christian Founding? PDF

Author: Mark David Hall

Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM

Published: 2019-10-29

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1400211115

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

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 thoughtful approach to this controversial question caused a sensation. C-SPAN televised his talk, and an essay based on it has been downloaded more than 300,000 times. In this book, Hall expands upon this essay, making the airtight case that America's Founders were not deists. He explains why and how the Founders' views are absolutely relevant today, showing that they did not create a "godless" Constitution; that even Jefferson and Madison did not want a high wall separating church and state; that most Founders believed the government should encourage Christianity; and that they embraced a robust understanding of religious liberty for biblical and theological reasons. This compelling and utterly persuasive book will convince skeptics and equip believers and conservatives to defend the idea that Christian thought was crucial to the nation's founding--and that this benefits all of us, whatever our faith (or lack of faith).

The Jefferson Bible

The Jefferson Bible PDF

Author: Thomas Jefferson

Publisher: Wyatt North Publishing, LLC

Published: 2014-01-05

Total Pages: 122

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The Jefferson Bible, or The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth as it is formally titled, was a book constructed by Thomas Jefferson in the latter years of his life by cutting and pasting numerous sections from various Bibles as extractions of the doctrine of Jesus. Jefferson's composition excluded sections of the New Testament containing supernatural aspects as well as perceived misinterpretations he believed had been added by the Four Evangelists. In 1895, the Smithsonian Institution under the leadership of librarian Cyrus Adler purchased the original Jefferson Bible from Jefferson's great-granddaughter Carolina Randolph for $400. A conservation effort commencing in 2009, in partnership with the museum's Political History department, allowed for a public unveiling in an exhibit open from November 11, 2011, through May 28, 2012, at the National Museum of American History.

The Recovery Bible

The Recovery Bible PDF

Author: Bill W.

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2013-08-29

Total Pages: 1566

ISBN-13: 1101620544

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The founders of the modern recovery movement, including Bill Wilson, Bob Smith, and other early AAs, were deeply influenced by a handful of inspirational authors, from whom they received practical guidance, key insights, and concrete ideas. Their explorations of inspirational literature and useable spiritual methods gave rise to the program of spiritual self-help now practiced around the world as the twelve-step tradition. Now, some of the core books that both inspired and were produced by the early twelve-steppers and recovery pioneers – including the first edition of the 1939 landmark Alcoholic Anonymous – are collected in this powerful resource, The Recovery Bible. Here are early writings by the visionaries of recovery. Their work retains all of its impact and life-changing power – now at the ready for study, immediate guidance, and a lifetime of re-exploration in this one volume. The Recovery Bible includes: -Alcoholics Anonymous, the original 1939 landmark - The Greatest Thing in the World by Henry Drummond -In Tune with the Infinite by Ralph Waldo Trine -The Mental Equivalent by Emmet Fox - As a Man Thinketh by James Allen -The 23rd and 91st Psalms -Religion that Works by the Rev. Sam Shoemaker -The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James

This Dangerous Book

This Dangerous Book PDF

Author: Steve Green

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2017-11-07

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0310351480

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

From Steve and Jackie Green, founders and curators of the Museum of the Bible--a fascinating exploration of the history, authenticity, and power of the Bible, the book that has changed people and nations throughout the centuries. It is the top selling book in history. It brings social upheaval, international arguments, and political controversy. It has been used to justify both love and war. And for generations, it has found its way into the hearts of millions, offering comfort, direction, and life-changing truths. How could one book have such power? In This Dangerous Book, Steve and Jackie Green explore the incredible history and impact of the Bible. As the founders and visionaries of the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C., the Greens have a unique perspective on the Bible's journey--from its ancient beginnings, to its effect on the moral fiber of nations, to its transformative influence in individual hearts. The Greens share the challenges they have faced in acquiring biblical artifacts from around the world and why generations--in every time period and in every geographical location--have risked their lives to preserve this precious book. Exploring ancient tablets, medieval commentaries, and modern translations, This Dangerous Book offers fascinating insight into the miracles and martyrdoms that have led to the Scriptures we read today. The Greens explore how cutting-edge technology gives new insight into the authenticity of the Bible, including the work of fifty scholars who recently uncovered hidden details about thirteen unpublished Dead Sea Scroll fragments. This Dangerous Book also looks at the link between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, what we can learn from how the Bible was passed down to us, and why God's Word is foundational to America's past and crucial for its future. The Bible is a world-changer and a heart-changer. Whether you have read the Bible for years or are simply curious about its influence, This Dangerous Book could change your heart as well.

The Faiths of the Founding Fathers

The Faiths of the Founding Fathers PDF

Author: David L. Holmes

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2006-05-01

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0199740968

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation. But how true is this claim? In this compact book, David L. Holmes offers a clear, concise and illuminating look at the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers. He begins with an informative account of the religious culture of the late colonial era, surveying the religious groups in each colony. In particular, he sheds light on the various forms of Deism that flourished in America, highlighting the profound influence this intellectual movement had on the founding generation. Holmes then examines the individual beliefs of a variety of men and women who loom large in our national history. He finds that some, like Martha Washington, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson's daughters, held orthodox Christian views. But many of the most influential figures, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Jefferson, James and Dolley Madison, and James Monroe, were believers of a different stripe. Respectful of Christianity, they admired the ethics of Jesus, and believed that religion could play a beneficial role in society. But they tended to deny the divinity of Christ, and a few seem to have been agnostic about the very existence of God. Although the founding fathers were religious men, Holmes shows that it was a faith quite unlike the Christianity of today's evangelicals. Holmes concludes by examining the role of religion in the lives of the presidents since World War II and by reflecting on the evangelical resurgence that helped fuel the reelection of George W. Bush. An intriguing look at a neglected aspect of our history, the book will appeal to American history buffs as well as to anyone concerned about the role of religion in American culture.