Introduction - The Fourth Political Theory in Biblical Perspective

This book presents a vision for the future of the United States of America as a Christian civilization. When I speak of the history of America, I include the United States as the federal union that came into being with the Constitution in 1787, but also the earlier settlements instituted by compacts, charters, orders and state constitutions. Christian nationalists bolster America’s unique political system by using the quotations of various Christian founders. Make no mistake about it – America is a Christian nation.⁸ This is undeniable, but it is neither because our political founders were professing Christians, nor because our Declaration of Independence repeatedly refers to the God of the Bible, nor because there is a treasure trove of quotations from our Founding Fathers who extolled Christianity. Although all this is true, this is not what made America a Christian nation.

Preface - The Fourth Political Theory in Biblical Perspective

Three great modernist political theories emerged in the last 300 years of Western history – Liberalism in the 1700s, communism in the 1800s, and fascism in the 1900s. Fascism was destroyed by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1945, two nations that represented and led the Liberal and communist worlds. Communism died of old age in 1991. Liberalism committed suicide by 2022.

In response, many would-be reformers of our day speak of recovering a “Christian nation.” I see that as a positive development, as long as we define what we mean.