History Behind the Headlines: The Role of the Bible in the Founding of the United States and Religious Mandates in Public Schools

On Friday, July 26, at 12 p.m. ET, an online event discussed how, recently, state authorities in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida made significant claims about the relationship between the Bible and the nation’s founding, and created curricular mandates based on these claims. In light of these events, AHA convened a conversation among scholars to discuss the evidence from the historic record, the questions that historians have asked about the relationship between religion and the Constitution, and the lessons resulting from decades of fruitful historical investigation. What should the public know about the relationship between the legal framework of the United States and the Christian Bible? How has this history been represented in public education in the past? And how can historians contribute to an informed understanding of the topic?

Moderated by Jon Butler (Yale Univ.), this event featured Holly Brewer (Univ. of Maryland), Heath Carter (Princeton Theological Sem.), and John Fea (Messiah Univ.).

A recap of the event was published in Perspectives.