RELATED LINKS

Prof. Thomas Kidd’s bio at Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion and Department of History.

Prof. Thomas Kidd’s Twitter feed and blog, The Anxious Bench (with other historians).

Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father, by Thomas Kidd.

American Colonial History: Clashing Cultures and Faiths, by Thomas Kidd.

Baptists in America: A History, by Thomas Kidd and Barry Hankins.

George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father, by Thomas Kidd.

Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots, by Thomas Kidd.

God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution, by Thomas Kidd.

The First Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America, by Thomas Kidd.

RELATED PODCASTS

Thomas Kidd on the Pilgrims.

Thomas Kidd on the Great Awakening.

Mark David Hall on Roger Sherman, Puritan Patriot.

Mark David Hall on Religion & the Founding Fathers.

Mark David Hall on Religious Minorities in the U.S. Founding.

Daniel Dreisbach on Religious Rhetoric in the Founding Era.

Should Christians Have Fought in the US Revolutionary War? A Debate.

Chris Beneke on Religion, Markets, and the Founding Era.

John Fea on Religion & the American Founding.

Jonathan den Hartog on the Spiritual and Political Life of John Jay.

Michael McClymond on Jonathan Edwards.

Andrew Hoffecker on Charles Hodge and Princeton Theological Seminary.

Jonathan den Hartog on Patriotism and Piety.

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/thomas-kidd-on-benjamin-franklins-faith/feed 1 http://www.researchonreligion.org/religion-politics/frank-selden-on-the-military-suicide-and-faith http://www.researchonreligion.org/religion-politics/frank-selden-on-the-military-suicide-and-faith#comments Sun, 21 May 2017 08:00:09 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=5029 In a very personal and fascinating interview, we are joined by Frank Selden, an estate & retirement attorney and former member of the Washington State Army National Guard, who talks about his career in the military, his two tours of duty in Iraq, his struggles with suicide, and how his religious faith worked through all of this.  We begin with Mr. Selden’s personal history beginning with his time growing up on a dairy farm.  He then leads us on a tour of his time studying to be a pastor with the Seventh Day Adventists, his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Washington, and what motivated him to join the National Guard.  It is then we take up the more extensive topic of his two tours of duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom and how his perspective on that conflict changed over time.  Frank also explains what motivated him to write his first book, Finding Faith in the Fury, a collection of emails and thoughts he had written down during his first tour of Iraq.  We discuss how his religion was lived out during that conflict,  including organizing a prayer service for soldiers after the base’s chaplain was killed by an IED while out on a mission.  In contrast to the aphorism that “there are no atheists in foxholes,” he found that many of his fellow soldiers did begin to have significant doubts about their faith based upon what they experienced during this war.  The conversation then turns to how his second tour overseas left him very disillusioned about the US purpose there, as well as how he began to see changes within his own faith with organized religion becoming less important.  This discussion of changes he experienced during and after the second tour of duty then leads us to the topic of suicide and the motivations for Frank’s second book, The Suicide Solution.  Frank talks openly about the struggles he had with injuries and depression, as well as how this cost him a marriage and many friendships.  He walks us through several of his suicide attempts and what happened on the last attempt, in a cemetery, that led him away from this path and towards a renewed life.  The stories here are deeply personal, fascinating, and honest.  Beyond the personal stories, Mr. Selden’s recent book on suicide led him down a research path to look at how religious organizations and movements dealt with suicide and the mentally ill throughout history.  He talks about a number of reform movements such as the Quakers, Dorothy Dix, and John Harvey Kellogg, as well as what occurred with changes to federal policy in the 1980s.  We finish with Frank’s thoughts on the role of spirituality in all of this.  Recorded: May 4, 2017.

RELATED LINKS

Frank Selden Law, PS and a brief bio.

Finding Faith in the Fury: One Soldier’s Faith Challenging Journey Through Operation Iraqi Freedom, by Frank Selden.

The Suicide Solution: Understanding and Dealing with Suicide from Inside the Mind of Someone Who’s Been There, by Frank Selden.

RELATED PODCASTS

Ron Hassner on Religion on the Battlefield.

Ron Hassner on Religion in the Military.

Robert Kinnune on Military Chaplains.

RELATED LINKS

Video presentation of the panel at the Religious Freedom Project (Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace, & World Affairs).

Religious Freedom and the Common Good Symposium webpage.

Coming soon: Religious Freedom Institute.  (The same project, but now in institutional form!)

Brian Grim’s bio at the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation.

Ilan Alon’s bio at the University of Agder.

Timur Kuran’s bio at Duke University.

Rachel McCleary’s bio at the Hoover Institution.

Anthony Gill’s bio at the University of Washington.

Explanation of bourbon vs scotch and definitive proof of which one is better.

RELATED PODCASTS

Religious Liberty & Economic Prosperity: A Panel Discussion.

Proselytism, Social Stability, and Development: A Panel Discussion.

Religious Freedom & Political Flourishing: A Panel Discussion.

Proselytism, Humanitarianism, and Development: A Panel Discussion.

Brian Grim on Religious Freedom & Business.

Timur Kuran on Islamic Law and Economic Development.

Timur Kuran on Islamic Economics.

Rebecca Shah on Religion and the Enterprising Poor in India.

Allen Hertzke on Religious Liberty.

Carrie Miles on Religion, Gender, and Missionaries.

Timothy Shah on the Case for Religious Liberty.

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/religion-politics/is-religious-freedom-good-for-growth-a-panel-discussion/feed 2 http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/thomas-kidd-on-the-pilgrims-encore-presentation-2 http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/thomas-kidd-on-the-pilgrims-encore-presentation-2#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2016 09:00:54 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=4803 Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, and part of our rotating encore feature this week, Prof. Thomas Kidd (Baylor University) returns to our podcast series to cover the history of a group of religious dissenters known as the Pilgrims.  After Tony attempts to recite a rather famous poem about the Pilgrims, we explore the roots of this group dating back to the English Reformation and how dissent within the Church of England in the 16th century set a group of individuals from Scrooby, England on a journey that would eventually land them on Plymouth Rock.  We follow the Pilgrims to the Netherlands and talk about their experiences there and discuss the reasons why they were able to obtain a charter for settlement in the North American colonies of Britain.  Prof. Kidd details the importance of the Mayflower Compact and what life was like for settlers in a new land, including a tangential discussion on the importance of beer to the Puritans.  (You will want to hear how brewing was beneficial to the Puritans and why the Puritans were not as prudish as one might think.)  We finish our podcast with Prof. Kidd’s thoughts on the legacy of the Pilgrims for American development and a brief history of the holiday we have come to know as Thanksgiving.  This podcast serves as a great introduction or review of the Pilgrims for high schoolers and homeschoolers and we encourage you to bring it to the attention of all those who might be interested.  Prof. Kidd is associate professor of history at Baylor University, senior fellow at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, and co-director of Baylor’s Program on Historical Studies of Religion.  Recorded: October 5, 2010.

RELATED LINKS

Thomas Kidd’s bio at Baylor University’s Department of History.

Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion.

American Colonial History: Clashing Cultures and Faiths, by Thomas Kidd.

George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father, by Thomas Kidd.

Baptists in America: A History, by Thomas Kidd and Barry Hankins.

The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America, by Thomas Kidd.

God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution, by Thomas Kidd.

Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father, by Thomas Kidd.

RELATED PODCASTS

Tracy McKenzie on the First Thanksgiving.

Thomas Kidd on the Great Awakening.

Evan Haefeli on the Dutch Origins of Religious Liberty.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Mark Hall’s bio at George Fox University and Baylor’s ISR.

“Religious Accommodations and the Common Good,” by Mark David Hall in The Heritage Foundation’s Backgrounder.

Faith and the Founders of the American Republic, edited by Daniel L. Dreisbach and Mark David Hall.

Roger Sherman and the Creation of the American Republic, by Mark David Hall.

 America’s Forgotten Founders, by Gary L. Gregg and Mark David Hall.

The Sacred Rights of Conscience, edited by Daniel L. Dreisbach and Mark David Hall.

See Prof. Hall’s bio (above) for additional books.

RELATED PODCASTS

Should Christians Have Fought in the U.S. War of Independence? (Discover Prof. Hall’s answer.)

Mark David Hall on Religious Minorities in the American Founding.

Mark David Hall on Roger Sherman, Puritan Patriot.

Mark David Hall on Religion and the Founding Fathers.

John Inazu on the Four Freedoms, Religious Liberty, and Assembly.

Rajdeep Singh on American Sikhs and Religious Liberty.

Jonathan den Hartog on Patriotism and Piety.

Michael McConnell on Church Property Disputes.

Francis Beckwith on Taking Rites Seriously.

Matthew Franck on Hosanna-Tabor and Ministerial Exemptions.

Matthew Franck on Hobby Lobby and Religious Freedom Jurisprudence.

David Cortman on Religious Freedom Updates.

Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, Prof. Thomas Kidd (Baylor University) returns to our podcast series to cover the history of a group of religious dissenters known as the Pilgrims.  After Tony attempts to recite a rather famous poem about the Pilgrims, we explore the roots of this group dating back to the English Reformation and how dissent within the Church of England in the 16th century set a group of individuals from Scrooby, England on a journey that would eventually land them on Plymouth Rock.  We follow the Pilgrims to the Netherlands and talk about their experiences there and discuss the reasons why they were able to obtain a charter for settlement in the North American colonies of Britain.  Prof. Kidd details the importance of the Mayflower Compact and what life was like for settlers in a new land, including a tangential discussion on the importance of beer to the Puritans.  (You will want to hear how brewing was beneficial to the Puritans and why the Puritans were not as prudish as one might think.)  We finish our podcast with Prof. Kidd’s thoughts on the legacy of the Pilgrims for American development and a brief history of the holiday we have come to know as Thanksgiving.  This podcast serves as a great introduction or review of the Pilgrims for high schoolers and homeschoolers and we encourage you to bring it to the attention of all those who might be interested.  Prof. Kidd is associate professor of history at Baylor University, senior fellow at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, and co director of Baylor’s Program on Historical Studies of Religion.  Recorded: October 5, 2010.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Thomas Kidd’s website.

Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion and Program on Historical Studies of Religion.

The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America by Thomas Kidd.

God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution by Thomas Kidd.

The Protestant Interest: New England after Puritanism by Thomas Kidd.

RELATED PODCASTS

Thomas Kidd on the Great Awakening.

Tracy McKenzie on the First Thanksgiving.

The conversation begins with Prof. Scott describing one of his previous jobs, namely searching for “lost” documents related to President Abraham Lincoln.   We find out that he had success in finding a few pieces of correspondence that were not yet documented and he received a special reward for doing so!  This then sends us into a discussion about how Scott became interested in the Civil War era and the more specific topic of religious rhetoric in the mid-1800s.  While much of his interest in the subject was generated in graduate school, he does note that he wrote a paper on the Civil War in junior high school which may have prompted his current interest.

We then look at his recent research on how Northerners tended to use religious imagery and language to correspond with one another during this tumultuous era in American history.  Tony asks a number of methodological questions about who was included in the study, how were documents tracked down, what was the nature of those documents, and whether Sean ever had a “chill up his spine” when reading these sometimes very emotional documents.  We talk about Sean’s emphasis on “common folk” who included everyone from individual soldiers, to farmers, housewives, preachers, and even a prominent banker or two.  Prof. Scott also notes that few scholars have studied the area of the Old Northwest, favoring instead the South, mid-Atlantic states, or New England.  Sean makes the case that his region of focus represented an interesting melting pot of different people as many of these states had just been settled in the few decades before the Civil War and were still attracting a wide range of individuals from across the country.  Many of these folks were not necessarily in favor of the abolition of slavery or shared the same views of secession that other Yankees might.

We then examine some of the first bits of rhetoric to come out in the months immediately leading up to the war and the first few months of fighting.  Sean notes that there was a strong sense of Providence that ran through much of the rhetoric, seeing the US as the New Israel and/or individuals understanding the war in terms of payment for a variety of sins including slavery.  The view that God’s hand was running through, or directing, the conflict was reflected a number of different ways.  And given the diverse population of the Old Northwest at the time, some of the preaching from the pulpit about the Civil War led to divisions among congregation members, with some individuals deciding to up and leave their church.

Following our discussion of the first few months of the war, our conversation turns to a more thematic approach to the use of religion to understand the conflict.  We cover whether or not Christians advocated picking up the sword to do battle or preferred more pacifistic methods.  We also discuss how family members who remained at home used religion to cope with their loved ones going off to war.  This includes both wives who sent their husbands and often faced the difficult challenge of raising a family on their own, and fathers who had to impart the wisdom of Christian manhood to their sons who were placed in difficult situations.  As the war comes to an end, the theme of whether northern Christians would follow the path of forgiveness or mete out revenge on the South.  Sean finds that there was a great deal of the latter, including towards “copperheads” (traitors to the Union cause that lived in the North). We finish with how religious rhetoric was used as a lens to view the Lincoln assassination.  The image that Lincoln was a “providential” figure in American history was bolstered by the fact that he was killed on Good Friday, shortly after the end of the war.  Sean concludes with a few thoughts on what he learned from his study of this era and how it might apply to our world today.  He argues about the danger of religion becoming too closely connected to political causes and how the study of the past brings a much needed humility towards how we live our lives today.  Recorded: October 16, 2014

RELATED LINKS

Sean Scott’s biography at Christopher Newport University.

A Visitation of God: Northern Civilians Interpret the Civil War, by Sean A. Scott.

While God Is Marching, by Steven Woodworth (mentioned in podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Melissa Matthes on Sermons After Tragedies.

David Dixon on Religious Rhetoric and the Civil Rights Movement.

Should Christians Have Fought the War of Independence?

Philip Jenkins on Religion and World War I.

Ron Mock on Pacifism, War, and Terrorism.

Tracy McKenzie on the First Thanksgiving.

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/sean-scott-on-religious-rhetoric-in-the-us-civil-war/feed 2 http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/mark-david-hall-on-religious-minorities-in-the-u-s-founding http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/mark-david-hall-on-religious-minorities-in-the-u-s-founding#comments Sun, 29 Jun 2014 08:00:56 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=3331 Most people have heard about the role that Congregationalists, Anglicans, and so-called Deists have played in the founding of the United States, but what about Jews, Quakers, and other religious minorities.  Prof. Mark David Hall, the Herbert Hoover Distinguished Professor of Politics at George Fox University, returns for his fourth episode to document the important influence exercised by individuals affiliated with lesser-known denominations.  This discussion is informed by the scholarship of various authors in a volume Mark co-edited with Daniel Dreisbach entitled Faith and the Founders of the American Republic (see below for link). For those not familiar with Prof. Hall’s work, we start off the interview with a quick summary of his interest in religion during the Founding Era and what importance that may have for our contemporary society.

The first religious minority we focus on are Jews.  With only about 2,000 Jews present during the time of the Revolutionary War, one might not think this group would have much influence.  Based upon the writings of Prof. David Dalin, Mark notes that Jews were tolerated fairly well throughout colonial history and that George Washington had a very favorable relations with Jews, including Haym Solomon who helped for fund the Continental Army.  Mark cites from Washington’s letter to a Newport synagogue to show how Washington’s view on religious freedom reflected more than mere tolerance.  He also covers Jewish influence on Alexander Hamilton (educated by Sephardic Jews) and John Adams (a Christian supporter of Zionism), as well as the direct action of Jonas Phillips to help end religious tests in America.

We next talk about the role of Islam, with Mark summarizing the chapter in his volume written by Tommy Kidd.  The influence of Islam on the American Founding and subsequent development of the republic was very indirect.  First, it was noted that many of the slaves who were exported to the Americas came from Islamic regions of Africa thus there were most likely some Muslim slaves, though the numbers are not certain.  Islam was also used in revolutionary era rhetoric to set up the trope of despotism, sometimes used by the Anti-Federalists in their arguments pertaining to the constitutional structure of the new republic.  The other important realm in which Islam comes to play in the formation of America’s identity is through the contact with Barbary pirates, one of the first major foreign policy conflicts that had to be managed by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  Mark also addresses the controversial interpretation surrounding the Treaty of Tripoli, which is often as evidence that the U.S. was not founded as a Christian nation.

We then move to the topic of Deism, not necessarily a denomination, but nonetheless a real belief system that was floating around in late 18th century America.  Most folks are probably more familiar with Deism given that it is often associated with major historical figures of the time such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.  Mark defines what Deism is, a “squishy definition” at best.  He then discusses whether any of these folks fell solidly within the Deist camp using the notion of an “interventionist God” as a baseline.  Mark notes that several of the Founders most people associate with Deism — such as Franklin, Jefferson, and Washington — did make reference to an deity who does intervene in human history, most notably George Washington who wrote quite a bit about the role of Providence.  When it comes down to it, Mark says that maybe only one or two of the major historical Founders — Ethan Allen and Thomas Paine — would qualify as strictly Deist in their philosophy.  Our conversation on Deism tends to focus on the writings of Paine with Mark pointing out that even despite Paine’s Deist bent, he cites Scripture quite liberally in writings such as Common Sense knowing that the American public was more in tune with an orthodox view of Christianity as compared to a more Enlightenment philosophical posture.  Mark also uses the general repudiation of Paine’s “Age of Reason” by many of the intellectual leaders of the U.S. at the time to illustrate that Deism may not have been as deeply woven into American elite culture as is now commonly assumed.  (It is also at this point in the interview where Mark compliments Tony’s social scientific acumen.  Just sayin’.)

We then finish up talking about the use of The Bible in the writings of American Founders, making reference to the scholarship of Daniel Dreisbach, and a handful of other Christian denominations including the Quakers (the denominational affiliation of George Fox University) and the Baptists (the affiliation of Baylor).  We spend some time on the thought and influence of John Dickinson and John Hancock, a flamboyant albeit philanthropic Calvinist.  Mark also gives us a sneak preview of his current research, something that will probably be heard next year during the Fourth of July!  Recorded: June 5, 2014.

RELATED LINKS

Mark David Hall’s bio at George Fox University.

Faith and the Founders of the American Republic, edited by Daniel Dreisbach and Mark David Hall.

Roger Sherman and the Creation of the American Republic, by Mark David Hall.

America’s Forgotten Founders, edited by Gary Gregg and Mark David Hall.

RELATED PODCASTS

Mark David Hall on Roger Sherman, Puritan Patriot.

Mark David Hall on Religion and the Founding Fathers.

Should Christians Have Fought in the U.S. War of Independence?

Chris Beneke on Religion, Markets, and the Founding Era.

John Fea on Religion and the American Founding.

Evan Haefeli on the Dutch Origins of Religious Tolerance.

Jonathan Den Hartog on the Spiritual and Political Life of John Jay.

Gary Scott Smith on Presidential Faith.

Thomas Kidd on the Great Awakening.

RELATED LINKS

 Prof. Ron Mock’s biography at George Fox University.

Loving Without Giving In: Christian Responses to Terrorism and Tyranny, by Ron Mock.

When the Rain Returns: Toward Justice and Reconciliation in Israel and Palestine, by Ron Mock

RELATED PODCASTS

Should Christians Have Fought in the US War of Independence?

Sean Everton on Dark Networks.

Eli Berman on Religious Terrorism.

Monica Toft on Religion, Violence and Civil War.

Christian Novetzke on Kung Fu Fighting and Eastern Religions.

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/ron-mock-on-pacifism-war-and-terrorism/feed 4 http://www.researchonreligion.org/protestantism/should-christians-have-fought-in-the-us-war-of-independence http://www.researchonreligion.org/protestantism/should-christians-have-fought-in-the-us-war-of-independence#comments Mon, 02 Jul 2012 08:00:08 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=1731 Should Christians have picked up arms during the American War of Independence following the first salvos at Lexington & Concord in April, 1775?  We pose that question to three Christian academics — Gregg Frazer, Jonathan den Hartog, and Mark David Hall — who offer different perspectives on this subject.

Prof. Gregg Frazer, professor of history and political studies at The Master’s College (Santa Clarita, CA), argues for the “no” position by noting that The Bible unequivocally teaches participation in any revolution are wrong.  Prof. Frazer also notes that the situation of the colonists were hardly in a tyrannical situation in 1775, but even if it was tyrannical he clearly states that biblical teachings forbids rebellion against secular authority.  Gregg cites Romans 13:1-2, John 19:11, and (later on) Acts 4 and Acts 5.  Tony presses Gregg about whether or not the American War of Independence (a.k.a. The Revolutionary War) was a revolution or a war.  Our discussion continues to explore whether or not there is a level of tyranny that could justify a rebellion against secular authority, and Prof. Frazer holds strong to his argument that there is no such instance.  Gregg notes that you are to obey the government until the government asks you to disobey God, but then you rely upon a sovereign God to remove the authority and only engage in civil disobedience accepting the consequences.  The discussion also encompasses issues of free will and what would history have looked like had he colonists never rebelled.

We then turn to Prof. Jonathan den Hartog, associate professor of history at Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN, who gives us the “yes” position by practicing the historian’s trade and getting into the head of the patriot colonists of the day.  (It should be noted that Prof. den Hartog is not an unambiguous “yes” vote in this debate from his personal position.)  We begin by noting the political imperative for rebellion in 1775 and Jonathan notes how the “squishy middle” disappeared quickly, specifically after John Jay’s Olive Branch Petition was rejected by King George shortly after Lexington & Concord.  Jonathan then connects these political issues to the moral concerns of Christians at the time, noting that many pastors (e.g., Whitefield, Witherspoon) gave the issue of independence a great deal of thought and debate.  Concern over the erosion of religious liberties was of major concern to many preachers of this era, and we explore whether this was a real concern or a threat merely whipped up to further a political agenda.  Prof. den Hartog provides a telling anecdote of a colonial militiaman (Levi Preston) who noted his inspiration to fight came from The Bible and catechism.  We talk about other justifications offered by Christians via “just war theory” wherein ministers like John Carmichael and David Jones conceive of the conflict as a defensive war to protect hearth and home.

The “squishy middle” position is then taken up by Prof. Mark David Hall of George Fox University in Newberg, OR.  Prof. Hall first answers the specific question by examining a more abstract position of whether or not Christians can rise up in rebellion against secular authority, essentially examining what Romans 13:1-3 says and what “legitimate” government means in light of various Catholic and Protestant theologians such as John Knox.  (It should be noted that Prof. Hall did not have knowledge of our discussion with Prof. Frazer, but these two have argued these points in the past.)  Tony then prompts Mark to put this into the context of the American colonies of the middle-late 18th century, arguing that the level of tyranny experienced by the colonists really wasn’t all that tyrannical.  Tax levels were low and the colonists did exercise a degree of self-governance that was not available to their peers in English towns.  Mark responds by noting how the Reformed tradition, of which encompassed about 75% of all religious believers in the colonies at the time, is particularly sensitive to the possibility of tyranny.  He then details the threats that the patriot forces perceived in the 1760s and ’70s, which makes Tony think that Mark would be quick to join the militia after Lexington & Concord.  Thus, Tony prompts Mark about why he agreed to take a “wait-and-see” position.  Prof. Hall responds that based upon hindsight regarding various “threats” during the Revolutionary era (e.g., the Quebec Act) there seems to have been much more room for reasoned negotiation.  However, he also cautions against “presentism,” the intellectual tendency to view history from our current position.  As such, Mark does argue that the colonists may have felt sufficiently threatened such that war may have been the most prudent option at the time.  Tony finishes up the questioning by asking Mark what would have happened had the patriots not have picked up arms, whereupon Mark speculates that the commonwealth option that may have arisen, just as Gregg Frazer did earlier.  Tony finishes off with his brief thoughts on the debate and listeners will have to get to the end of the podcast to see if he changed his position at all.  Recorded: Mid-June 2012.

Visit our Facebook Fan Page and/or our Twitter feed for regular updates on what is coming up on the show!

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Gregg Frazer’s biography at The Master’s College.

The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders: Reason, Revelation, Revolution, by Gregg Frazer.

Prof. Jonathan den Hartog’s biography at Northwestern College.

James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions (Princeton University).

Prof. Mark David Hall’s biography at George Fox University.

America’s Forgotten Founders, by Gary L. Gregg II and Mark David Hall.  For other books by Prof. Hall, please see his earlier interviews on our podcast series.

RELATED PODCASTS

Mark David Hall on Roger Sherman, Puritan Patriot.

John Fea on Religion & the American Founding.

Mark David Hall on Religion & the Founding Fathers.

Chris Beneke on Religion, Markets, and the Founding Era.

Thomas Kidd on the Great Awakening.