Daniel L. Dreisbach's book is an interesting investigation of the influence the Bible, particularly the King James Version (1611), had upon the generation of the nation's "Founding Fathers." Most of us would intuitively conclude it was significant, since the Bible was essentially ubiquitous in Colonial America. As Dreisbach writes, "[The Bible] was integral to their education - both formal and informal - and it shaped their worldview, values, and habits of mind in diverse ways" (p. 49). While some Founders came to the Bible as believers, others thought of the Bible's moral teaching's as utilitarian.
What Dreisbach contributes is a more intense look at specific examples of Scripture upon which the Founders likely relied. Intellectual histories in general, as well as the effects of sources upon subsequent actions or expressions in particular, are notoriously difficult to "prove" but Dreisbach builds a very strong circumstantial case for several examples.
For instance, statements bearing the influence of Micah 6:8 are explored. Frequent paraphrases of "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God?" populate the quotes of Founding Fathers, who saw parallels between the terms of Israel's compact with God after its deliverance from Egypt and the terms upon which the young United States should abide in order to prosper.
Another example focuses on the biblical basis for civil disobedience and, of course, the American Revolution (Acts 5:29, "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than man") over the traditional biblical citation for the justification of monarchies (Romans 13:1, "Let every soul be subject unto the highest powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are of God"). The book continues in a like fashion.
Dreisbach sees heavy traces of the critical biblical literature of the Protestant Reformation embedded throughout the Declaration of Independence (p. 133). He does not claim that the Bible was either the key or the primary source for American Revolutionary doctrine, but it certainly was significant and understanding that significance is crucial to understanding the Founding Fathers (p. 231, 234).
Dreisbach also admits that, "The bible was employed for literary, rhetorical, and political purposes, in addition to theological and spiritual reasons" (p. 231). This book is not an apologia, but a reasoned argument.
An important reason for reading this book is to remind oneself just how much wisdom is contained within the Bible and that its wisdom was, and still can be, applied to politics. I found myself returning to two items:
1) Benjamin Franklin referenced Genesis 47 with these words of warning about the ways of tyrants, ".. get first all the people[']s money, then all their lands, and then make them and their children servants forever" (p. 85); and,
2) A statement made by Samuel Langdon on June 5, 1788 about choosing representatives by referencing Proverbs 28-29, "Fix your eyes upon men [or women] of good understanding, and known honesty; men [or women] of knowledge, improved by experience; men [or women] who fear God, and hate covetousness; who love truth and righteousness …" (p. 166).
Worth remembering.
ISBN-13: 978-0199987931
ISBN-10: 0199987939
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