5.41 Ryan Helfenbein, David Schrock, & Trent Hunter • Interview • “Retrieving The Christianity of America’s Founding”

ABOUT THE EPISODEListen in as David Schrock and Trent Hunter interview Ryan Helfenbein on his COA Longform Essay, "Retrieving The Christianity of America's Founding"Timestamps00:00 – Introducing Ryan Helfenbein04:33 – Ryan’s Path From Seminary to Liberty University11:30 – Falwell’s Shift: From Ministers to Moral Majority16:39 – Debating the Christian Nature of America’s Founding19:03 – Reappraising Founders’ Faith: Beyond the Deist Label23:19 – The First Amendment’s True Intent: No Denominational Establishment28:01 – How Preachers Stirred Resistance to Tyranny32:05 – From Christian Roots to Secular Education37:40 – The Civil War and the Christian Nation Concept40:06 – Wayne Grudem’s Framework for a Christian Nation46:15 – Historical Christian Character and Moral Laws48:34 – Tom Holland and Christian Origins of Modern Balues51:32 – Modern Religious Freedom, Immigration, and the Church’s Civic Role01:01:12 – Rebuilding America and Defending Our Christian Inheritance01:03:30 – Trent’s Advice for Pastors on Civic Engagement01:07:06 – Recommended Resources and OutroResources to Click“Retrieving The Christianity of America’s Founding” – Ryan Helfenbein“Competing Visions of America at 250: Politics, Religion, and American Identity” – PRRI“Mapping Christian Nationalism Across the 50 States: Insights from PRRI’s 2025 American Values Atlas” – PRRI“Speaker Johnson Leads Nation in Prayer of Rededication” – Mike Johnson“MS NOW’s Katy Tur Forgets the Declaration of Independence’s Most Famous Line in Botched Hit on Mike Johnson” – Isaac Schorr“‘Christian Nationalists’ like Speaker Mike Johnson are a bigger threat than al-Qaeda” – James Carville“Political Strategist’s Dire Warning About Mike Johnson” – Rachel Dobkin“Sorry, Politico: You Don’t Get to Rewrite the Declaration of Independence” – Rachel Del Guidice“The Right Way to Cover the Intersection of Religion and Politics” – Heidi Przybyla“North Carolina pastor rejects ‘Christian nation’ claims from GOP legislators” – Cardinal & Pine Staff“A Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers” – Jonathan Mayhew“The Catechism of the Revolution” – David Kopel“Samuel Davies: Apostle of Dissent” – R. Isabela Morales“George Washington, letter to John Augustine Washington” – George Washington’s Mt. Vernon“The Federalist Papers: No. 37” – James Madison“The Federalist Papers: No. 2” – John Jay“The Relative Influence of European Writers on Late Eighteenth-Century American Political Thought” – Donald S. Lutz“Religious Tests and Oaths in State Constitutions, 1776-1784” – Center for the Study of the American Constitution, University of Wisconsin“Constitution of Delaware; 1776”“Constitution of Maryland, 1776”“Fighting the Good Fight of Faith: 250 Years of Sacred Service of the United States Army Chaplain Corps” – Chaplain (Capt.) Joseph Feaster“Under providence and liberty: George Washington and the sacred birth of the Army Chaplain Corps” – Stella NauloChurch of the Holy Trinity v. United States“America’s Christian Founding?” – Bradford Littlejohn“A Christian Manifesto” – Francis Schaeffer“Is America a Christian Nation?” – Apologetic Junkie“Seal of Approval” – Harvard Gazette“The Oldest Endowed Professorship” – Harvard Gazette“History of the United States” – Noah Webster“Of the Mode of Education Proper in a Republic” – Benjamin Rush“Horace Mann and the Irony of Secular Education” – Jeffrey PoletEverson v. Board of Education“Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists” – Thomas JeffersonTheme of the Month: God (B)less America: The United States at 250Give to Support the Work Books to ReadOn Rebellion – John Knox, ed. Roger A. MasonDid America Have a Christian Founding? – Mark David HallPolitics: According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture – Wayne GrudemBLM: The Making of a New Marxist Revolution – Mike Gonzalez