IN THEIR OWN WORDS: THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND THE BIBLE

When the Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they embarked on uncharted territory. They moved forward anyway, turning to the Bible for many of the principles they needed to establish a free nation.

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Author’s Note:

I began researching and writing this article a few years ago, mostly for my own edification, but also in response to the continued maligning of our Nation’s history and its Constitution. As a former American history teacher, I’ve spent the majority of my adult life immersed in America’s foundation and progress over the last 250 years. Above all the noise and rhetoric, one thing has always been clear to me: Our Founding Fathers were Christian men who believed in the teachings of the Bible. One only has to read their words to know that. They were not perfect men, but they drew upon the perfect, unchanging principles found in scripture when laying the foundation for the Constitutional Republic they would eventually establish.

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and after watching and re-watching many of his interactions with students on college campuses across the country, I felt compelled to revisit this subject in his honor. Charlie’s faith, wisdom, and message inspired me. He reminded me that what makes America different is also what makes her a target. As such, we have a responsibility to educate future generations to seek truth rather than accepting the status quo, to ask questions rather than accepting rhetoric, and to think critically, rather than accepting only one side of the story.

I’m grateful to all the historians and writers whose work inspired and continues to inspire me. That we continue to uphold the Christian values and principles suffused in the fabric of our Nation so that we may pass those values on to future generations, as is our duty and their right to receive, is my fervent prayer. May God provide us with the wisdom, humility, and courage to do so.

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The most often cited source in the writings of the Founding Era is the Bible.

The Founding Fathers valued the Bible for its wisdom regarding human nature and moral responsibility. For that reason, they agreed its teachings were essential for nurturing the virtues necessary for self-government. Their views about freedom and liberty, the role of government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens come from Scripture. In short, they relied on the Bible for guidance.

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” — George Washington, 1796

Scripture lays the foundation for the following eight founding principles.

Our Founding Fathers laid the foundation for our Constitutional Republic upon principles deeply rooted in the word of God. Principles they believed would preserve and protect American freedom and liberty for all time.

Throughout the history of our Nation, we have striven to come ever closer to those goals. Along the way, we’ve stumbled, we’ve fallen short, but despite our human frailties, we’ve also made valiant progress. Faith has been the most vital part of that journey. Generations past stood strong in the face of adversity and were willing to fight and die for their faith. Faith in God to guide them in the right direction, in their country, and in each other.

Now, more than ever, faith is essential to the future of America. It’s time to remind ourselves who we are and where we come from. More importantly, it’s time to ask ourselves, who are we becoming? Without faith and the biblical tenets our Founders knew were vital to our nation, we destroy the foundation.

Without her foundation, America cannot stand. She will fall.

Like so many civilizations before her, what rises will not be based on the principles of liberty that built her. The principles she has stood upon for nearly two and a half centuries. Ideals that have set her apart. No, those ideals will undoubtedly fall into obscurity. Because, in the minds of those controlling her destiny, they will no longer matter.

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government. Far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government. Upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves. To control ourselves. To sustain ourselves according to the 10 Commandments of God. ” — James Madison, 1785

The following sections offer parallels between the Bible and the principles that underpin America’s Constitutional Republic.

This list is not all-inclusive. Rather, it’s an exploration of several key principles that underscore America’s founding. The goal is a broader understanding and appreciation of our Constitutional Republic with a biblical perspective. (Note: Source documentation, scriptural passages, and commentary are linked to specific texts for further exploration.)

1. Reliance on the Providence of God.

The Founding Fathers believed in Divine Providence. Or, the idea that God is both Creator of and Intercessor in the Universe. Contrary to the term often associated with the Founders, they were not deists in the traditional sense. Though they did rely on logic and reasoning as the learned men they were, they were also spiritual. In other words, they logically accepted God as the creator of the Universe. However, they also acknowledged God as the benevolent caretaker who intercedes on behalf of His creation.

The concept of divine providence originated during the Middle Ages. St. Thomas Aquinas developed it most fully in his Suma Theologica (1265-1274). According to Aquinas, divine providence is simply “care exercised by God over the Universe.“

The Founders were familiar with the Suma Theologica and respected Aquinas’ thoughts and precepts.

The final paragraph of the Declaration acknowledges the Founders’ faith in divine providence in two important ways.

First, they state their intent for the colonies to be independent of England. Specifically, with an appeal to God’s authority over Creation as their justification. Second, they reaffirm their reliance on God for His guidance, protection, and intervention. Specifically, they recognize their dependence on God, above and before any earthly body, for a successful outcome. An outcome they pledged the whole of themselves to, including their very lives.

Such an undertaking required tremendous faith. Faith the Founders exhibited in both word and deed as they each, to a man, signed that document.

“We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” — Declaration of Independence, 1776

The Revolutionary War ended in 1781 with British General George Cornwallis’ surrender to George Washington following the Battle of Yorktown.

In a letter to Reverend John Rogers in June of that year, Washington gives God the “glory and praise” for the colonies’ triumph over England.

“I accept, with much pleasure, your kind Congratulations on the happy Event of Peace, with the Establishment of our Liberties and Independence. Glorious indeed has been our Contest: glorious, if we consider the Prize for which we have contended, and glorious in its Issue; but in the midst of our Joys, I hope we shall not forget that, to divine Providence is to be ascribed the Glory and the Praise.” — George Washington, 1781

With the Revolution behind them and independence secured, the new nation floundered under the Articles of Confederation.

During the summer of 1787, delegates met in Philadelphia to discuss the future of America’s government. The Constitutional Convention almost fell apart a number of times as the delegates were drafting the new Constitution. During one debate, when the issues were deadlocked, Benjamin Franklin reminded his fellow delegates of God’s aid during the Revolution. He then beseeched them to pray again for His guidance and direction in constructing their new government. The completed and signed Constitution was sent for ratification by the end of the summer.

“I have so much faith in the general government of the world by Providence, that I can hardly conceive a transaction of such momentous importance to the welfare of millions now existing, and to exist in the posterity of a great nation, should be suffered to pass without being in some degree influenced, guided, and governed by that omnipotent, omnipresent, and beneficent Ruler, in whom all inferior spirits live, and move, and have their being.” — Ben Franklin, 1788

2. God’s laws form the basis of all human laws.

The Founders knew that the only reliable foundation for a free government was one that never changes. For that, they turned to “the laws of nature and of nature’s God” found in the Bible.

The Founding Fathers believed in the existence of God and that He created all things. Moreover, they believed that this fundamental truth underscores all self-evident truths. As part of God’s creation, we are dependent upon Him, and more importantly, responsible to Him. Thus, mankind must use these same laws to govern itself.

The Founders understood that obedience to God’s laws is precisely what regulates human conduct.

Obedience to God’s laws allows men to coexist peacefully, and more importantly, to govern justly. First and foremost, God’s laws are unchanging. He reveals them to us through our conscience. Second, they are the universal moral code of mankind. Third, all human laws are based on the laws of God. “Law is directed to the common good, and human law is no exception. The promotion of virtue is necessary for the common good, and human laws are instruments in the promotion of virtue,” — St. Thomas Aquinas.

The papers, letters, and publications of the Founding Fathers reveal their deep understanding of the higher laws of God.

“Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God. What a Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be.” — John Adams, 1756

“The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.” — James Madison, 1787

3. Religion and morality form the basis of liberty.

The Founding Fathers believed that without religion, a free government could not last. They understood that to sustain liberty, morality was necessary. Religion teaches about the Bible, God’s laws, and morality. It also creates a moral society. The Founders considered this vital if the new form of government was to succeed.

Moral strength and virtue were not solely the responsibility of the people; they were required of their leaders also.

The Founders knew, without reservation, that the Constitutional Republic would not survive under morally weak and corrupt leadership.

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports – And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion – Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail to the exclusion of religious principle.” — George Washington, 1796

Religion played a crucial role in the establishment of many of the colonies. Colonies that had now become the United States of America.

People escaping religious persecution in their homelands populated many of the first colonial settlements in the New World. Freedom to safely practice one’s religious beliefs and traditions was sacred. The Founding Fathers understood this.

However, far from simply the notion of “freedom of worship,” the Founders’ view of religious freedom was much broader. Their writings convey their firm conviction that religious freedom is the right of every citizen. That citizens had every right to live out their conscience according to the dictates of their faith. In short, they held that the government had no right to tell people what to believe. More importantly, the government had no right to dictate how citizens practiced their faith.

“The Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate.” — James Madison, 1785

It is no coincidence that the 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantees religious freedom.

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Morality and virtue are the foundation of our republic and necessary for a society to be free.” — John Adams, 1798

“Only virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” — Benjamin Franklin, 1787

“He, therefore, is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who … will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man.” — Samuel Adams, 1749

4. All men are created equal.

The European Enlightenment, specifically the writings of John Locke, significantly influenced the Founders’ ideas about equality. He believed in a Creator, God, and that all men are created equal by God. Locke also believed that all individuals are born with God-given natural rights that can never be taken away.

When drafting the Declaration, the Founders drew on Locke’s philosophies of equality and natural law as justification for revolution.

In this context, “all men are created equal” refers to humanity in general. Specifically, the words are referring to the right of the colonies to throw off the mantle of British control.

When framing that concept into the Constitution, however, they assigned specific detail to what equality would mean. The Bill of Rights ensures that “all men are equal before God, before the law, and in their rights.“

The Bill of Rights protects U.S. citizens from the arbitrary dissolution of their rights at any time or for any reason.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” — Declaration of Independence, 1776

“The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy.” — Ben Franklin, 1774

“No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States.” — U.S. Constitution, Art. I, Sec. 9, Paragraph 8

5. All men are endowed with God-given human rights.

Like their beliefs about equality, the prevailing understanding of the Founding Era regarding human rights also came from the Enlightenment. By the time the Declaration was drafted, it was increasingly believed that human rights are the will of God. Further, they cannot be abolished or changed by any earthly power.

Essentially, the Founders held that human rights are derived from the law of nature and of nature’s God.

“The doctrines thus delivered we call the revealed or divine law, and they are to be found only in the Holy Scriptures. These precepts, when revealed, are found by comparison to be really a part of the original law of nature, as they tend in all their consequences to man’s felicity.” — William Blackstone, 1753

According to Locke, the most basic human law of nature is the preservation of mankind. To that end, he reasoned, individuals have both a right and a duty to preserve their own lives. In addition, he believed that liberty should be far-reaching. But only insofar as individual freedom and choice do not interfere with the liberty of others. Finally, in Locke’s view, the purpose of government is to secure and protect these God-given human rights.

The Founders agreed with Locke. They further asserted that human rights are “protected through a code of divine law revealed by God.”

It was based on this code of divine law that they staked their entire premise for the Declaration.

“… that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” — Declaration of Independence, 1776

“The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.” — Alexander Hamilton, 1775

“Man has been subjected by his Creator to the moral law, of which his feelings, or conscience as it is sometimes called, are the evidence with which his Creator has furnished him … The moral duties which exist between individual and individual in a state of nature, accompany them into a state of society, their Maker not having released them from those duties on their forming themselves into a nation.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1793

The protection of our God-given human rights forms the foundation for the Constitution, and is the highest duty of the government it establishes.

“I say RIGHTS, for such they have, undoubtedly, antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe.” — John Adams, 1765

“But our rulers can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1781

6. Government authority is by the consent of the governed.

The Founding Fathers believed that — The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people. This same belief inspired the Declaration and the Revolutionary War. It also frames the very foundation of our Constitution.

The language of the Declaration was buoyed by the Founders’ belief in the natural laws of God.

In it, they made two important declarations. First, it was “their right, their duty, to throw off such government” [a government that’s become tyrannical]. Second, they could and would “provide new guards for their future security.” Having won the Revolution, it now became their duty to establish a government “of, by, and for the people.”

“Consent of the governed” asserts that a government’s legitimacy and moral right to power is justified and lawful only when consented to by the people. Where did this idea originate? Like a lot of the political philosophies of the time, it came from both Scripture and the Enlightenment.

The idea that governments should serve the people is consistent with many themes of the Bible.

Scripture discusses God’s granting of individual rights, gifts, and talents. That it’s God’s plan that we should all voluntarily use His gifts to serve the common good.

Locke’s ideas about government stemmed from his core belief in natural God-given rights. The duty of all governments, in his view, is to protect these rights. People consent, in turn, to invest authority in the government. They consent to abide by the laws of society only insofar as the government protects their rights. Failure to protect their rights was just cause for the people to overthrow that government.

The Framers worked to balance the need for centralized government against their fear of government corruption and overreach. In short, they wanted to ensure that the government they established protected the people from the “frailties of their rulers.”

To that end, they included safeguards within the Constitution itself. Such as three separate branches, limited and well-defined powers, and checks and balances. They also provided for the protection of the minority against the will of the majority. And gave us a Bill of Rights that ensured the new government would “rest on the solid basis of the consent of the people” — Alexander Hamilton, 1787.

“…governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. ” — Declaration of Independence, 1776

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” — U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, 10th Amendment.

It was also why they chose a Constitutional Republic rather than a pure democracy for America.

“The United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a republican form of government.” — U.S Constitution, Art. IV, Section 4

“We may define a republic to be, or at least may bestow that name on, a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure for a limited period, or during good behavior. It is essential to such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society…It is sufficient for such a government that the persons administering it be appointed, either directly or indirectly, by the people.” — James Madison, 1788

7. Separation of church and state.

This is probably one of the most misunderstood ideas that came forward from the Founding Generation. The notion of ‘separation of church and state,’ though often cited, does not appear in the Constitution at all. In fact, it doesn’t appear in any founding document.

As previously demonstrated, the Founders absolutely believed that religion and morality were vital to the success of the Republic. They were men of faith and understood how important faith is to mankind’s prosperity and happiness.

“That religion, or the duty which we owe to our CREATOR, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity; towards each other.” — George Mason, 1776

What they did not want as part of the new nation, however, was the establishment of a national religion.

The terminology, “separation of church and state,” actually comes from an 1802 letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists Association. In it, Jefferson is responding to their fears regarding their state (Connecticut) constitution’s lack of specific phrasing concerning religious freedom.

“Religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, [and] he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1802

Jefferson assured them that the 1st Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses protect religious freedom for all Americans.

Which is precisely what the Founders meant for it to do.

The 1st Amendment is not, in fact, an admonishment regarding religious interference in government. Rather, it is a law to protect religion, and therefore the people, from government interference in matters of faith.

The Founders had no intention of creating a society that forced all citizens to adopt one religion. They did, however, value the importance of religion. They believed a person’s faith should not be intruded upon by the government. That religious doctrine should not be written into governance.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” — First Amendment, U.S. Constitution

Instead, they believed everyone had the right to exercise their religious beliefs “according to their own conscience.”

“Because finally, ‘the equal right of every citizen to the free exercise of his Religion according to the dictates of conscience’ is held by the same tenure with all our other rights.” — James Madison, 1785

8. Teaching the next generation the laws of liberty.

Regarding education, the Founders were clear in their intent. The significant role education played in the posterity of America comes through in their ideas on the subject. Specifically, their ideas regarding the teaching of facts, moral character, and civic virtue.

“No free government, nor the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people, but by a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.” — George Mason, 1776 (Virginia Declaration of Rights)

In 1765, John Adams wrote A Dissertation on the Canon and the Feudal Law in response to the Stamp Act.

In it, he explains his views on education. Most notably, the danger is inherent in “the lack of education within the general populace.” Adams held that withholding knowledge “denies citizens a basic understanding of their rights, natural or civil. Thus, they would be compelled to accept any wrongs committed by the king or others with similar power.”

According to Adams, education and knowledge are fundamental in a free, or any, society in keeping leaders in check. It was an argument he and his fellow Founders would expand upon as the Republic was taking shape.

The Founding Fathers understood the critical role of education in a free society.

They understood how important universal education is to America’s future. Specifically, education on the principles of liberty and the Republic. Not only that, but they also knew that without a basic understanding of the Constitution, individual liberties would be at risk.

“It is universally admitted that a well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people.” — James Madison, 1810

They believed this because they were men of reason and logic, but also because they were men of faith. It was precisely their ability to use reason and logic that aided them while writing the Declaration. It also guided them while framing the Constitution. Their belief in our “inalienable rights” translated into a Constitutional Republic based on the unchanging laws of nature’s God.

In their view, instilling the virtues we believe in as a society is the main goal of public education.

More specifically, instilling them in the next generation. The Founders anticipated the active role citizens needed to take in perpetuating a free government. Educating the public about their rights, their roles and responsibilities, and their heritage would be vital.

That diffusion of knowledge included high-quality history and civic instruction. Principally, to create informed citizens, but also to prepare future generations for full participation in the Republic, the Constitution established.

In 1818, Thomas Jefferson was appointed to the commission to plan the site for a new university in Virginia.

He took that opportunity to do more than just survey the potential location. He also recommended a course of study that reflected his views regarding the role of public education.

“To give to every citizen the information he needs…to understand his duties to his neighbors and country…to know his rights…” — Thomas Jefferson, 1818

From the beginning, generations of Americans were taught about the Founding Era and the principles that shaped their nation.

In his Democracy in America (1830s), Alexis de Tocqueville writes, “It cannot be doubted that in the United States, the instruction of the people powerfully contributes to the support of the democratic republic; and such must always be the case.”

In 1838, as a young lawyer, Abraham Lincoln expounded on the importance of education in fortifying and maintaining the rule of law.

“Let the Constitution be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges, let it be written in primers, in spelling books, and in almanacs, let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation. “— Abraham Lincoln, 1838

America’s founding principles cannot be accurately defined or understood without the Bible.

Stepping back and examining the principles of America’s foundation has been an eye-opening and thought-provoking experience. Shortly into my examination, I realized that defining and understanding these principles is impossible without the Bible. The unchanging word of God is the only foundation upon which to build a government charged with upholding the freedom and liberty of all its citizens. That is precisely why the Founding Fathers chose to base our Republic upon its eternal footing.

This experience elevated my understanding of the Founding Era in ways I’d not anticipated.

First, it clarified the care and circumspection with which the Founding Fathers set about establishing a system of self-government that had the best chance of sustaining and perpetuating the freedom and liberty their generation had fought so hard for.

Second, it revealed the accuracy of their logic and reasoning, but more importantly, their conviction and faith. That they had the foresight to turn to the wisdom of Scripture and the laws of God says a lot about the men they were, but perhaps more significantly, the men they aspired to be.

Finally, it reinforced in my heart and mind the debt of gratitude and respect they, as well as succeeding generations, deserve for their sacrifices and contributions to this great Nation.

The preservation of our history and our continued faith in the principles that founded our Republic are just as critical now as they were when they were first established.

Through the years, they have been questioned, challenged, and tested. They have prevailed in the face of those challenges again and again. The reason for their continued existence and relevance is not because they are perfect, but rather because they are based upon ideals that are.

Ideals that John Adams expressed in a letter to his friend Thomas Jefferson in 1813, “Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God; and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System.”

When considering the challenges we have faced in the past and are facing now, I am reminded of the words of one of my favorite leaders of all time.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, served our country during one of its darkest hours and brought us through one of its greatest challenges. We emerged battered and bloody, but our Republic still stood. To me, that is a testament that the ideals that founded this Nation are righteous and good. That the men who founded this nation, though human and prone to the same weaknesses we all are, truly did have the noblest intentions at heart.

Most importantly, I’ve come away with the conviction that it is up to each of us, the recipients of the freedom and liberty that has been passed to us, not to become the generation that allows “government of the people, by the people, and for the people to perish from the earth,” Abraham Lincoln, 1863.

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JN Fenwick © 2025 | All rights reserved.

JN Fenwick is a Florida-based former American history teacher and writer. She is the author/editor of In the Eye of the Storm.