Just in time for July 4th, Mark David Hall discusses one of the least known of the most influential Founding Fathers in American history, Roger Sherman. Building on last week’s theme, Prof. Hall uses Roger Sherman to illustrate how Reformed (Calvinist) theology had a profound influence on American ideals and institutions. Roger Sherman, a staunch Calvinist from Connecticut, figured prominently in the formulation of several critical documents in US history, including the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution (including the Bill of Rights). Prof. Hall also reflects upon the question of whether or not America was founded as a Christian nation.

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Was America founded as a Christian nation? This is the title of Prof. John Fea’s book and the topic of our podcast this week. Prof. Fea presents a nuanced answer to this question, showing that although that the British American colonies were overwhelmingly Christian in culture in the late 18th century, the Founding was not necessarily a Christian event. We cover what it means to be a “Christian nation,” and examine whether the Founders lived up to Christian ideals, including a discussion of just war theory. This is a great podcast to pair with next week’s discussion featuring Mark David Hall.

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Prof. Thomas Farr discusses the important role of religion and religious liberty in foreign relations. Dr. Farr brings both a scholar’s insight and his experience as a 21 year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service and recent director of the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom. We examine why American diplomats have often had a blind spot for religious issues and then turn our discussion to why promoting religious liberty is in the national security interest of the United States (and other nations).

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Prof. Karrie Koesel (U of Oregon) explores the “house church” movement in China, revealing how these clandestine religious groups are formed and operate in an environment that is not necessarily hospitable to independent religious organizations. We note some of the penalties that can accrue if such churches are discovered, but also discover that many of these churches exist in a “gray” market with the tacit approval of local government officials. We end our discussion with some speculation about how religion may be changing Chinese society and politics.

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Why are American Jews more liberal than their socio-economic non-Jewish counterparts?
Why are they more politically liberal than Jews in other countries? And what explains the rightward, then leftward, drift of Jews from the 1970s to present? Prof. Ken Wald provides an interesting historical explanation to these three puzzles. A great complimentary episode to last week’s discussion.

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William Donohue of the Catholic League discusses how cultural nihilists are engaging in “secular sabotage.” Our discussion starts with an examination of who are these nihilists and how moral virtue is essential to control unbridled appetites in a free nation. We then weave through a variety of topics including Lady Gaga, Hollywood, and how Catholics and Protestants are often engaging in self-sabotage.

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Prof. Ruth Melkonian surveys the history of Protestantism in Latin America and examines whether evangelicals and Pentecostals in the region share the same political views as their U.S. brethren or whether they appear more similar to non-evangelicals in Latin America. She reveals that Latin American Protestants are more similar to their non-Protestant compatriots in the region than they are to their counterparts in the United States. We also discuss the issue of Latino immigration into the US and how evangelical leaders have viewed this phenemonenon.

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Just in time for every taxpayer’s favorite day — April 15 — David Wills, president of the National Christian Foundation, joins us to discuss religious charity and how government spending & taxes can affect where private donations flow. We discuss some potential changes to the tax code, including the definition of what might count as a “charitable organization.” Anyone who runs a charitable organization or who makes even the smallest of financial donations to religious groups will want to listen to this episode. If you know of others who may be interested, please spread the word.

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Buckle your seatbelts. James Brettell — preacher, radio host and jack-of-all-trades — leads us through a critique of contemporary Christianity in the United States. Critical of what he calls the “traditional church,” Pastor Jim details a problematic stagnation in denominational Christianity and advocates for a more evangelical method of reinvigorating spiritual life in America and around the world. He takes us through his personal history, from being raised in a Presbyterian Church to being born-again while on military duty in the Caribbean to his experience as pastor at a number of churches around the country. Pastor Jim also discusses his latest venture, the Little Rock NetChurch (an internet-based ministry), and how that is bringing folks closer to the Word of God.

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Manuscript collector extraordinaire, and former professor of ancient history, Scott Carroll joins Tony in a discussion about the King James Bible, as Baylor Univeristy prepares to celebrate the 400th anniversary of this celebrated translation. Our discussion is far ranging, discussing everything from how ancient texts were translated and disseminated to the specific history of Tudor and Stuart England. We finish with some thoughts on the impact that this particular translation of the Bible has had on our contemporary understanding of the Bible and its imprint on the English language.

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