David French & Russell Moore: America at 250 – When Founding Fathers Meet Modern Faith

What Does America’s 250th Birthday Mean for Its Future and Our Faith?

To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, Curtis Chang is joined by his The After Party partners David French and Russell Moore to ask how Christians should think about patriotism, democracy, and national identity in a divisive age. Comparing the optimism of the 1976 Bicentennial with today’s fractured political climate, they explore America’s founding ideals, the promises and failures of liberty and equality, the relationship between Christianity and the American experiment, and the dangers of Christian nationalism. Together, they answer listener questions and offer a vision for faithful civic engagement — one marked by gratitude without idolatry, honesty without despair, and allegiance to Christ above every nation.

00:34 – Introduction to America’s 250th Birthday

02:07 – Comparing the 250th with the Bicentennial

09:18 – America’s Gifts to the World

16:16 – Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?

25:13 – The Pull of Christian Nationalism

29:29 – Project 2025 & What True American Renewal Requires

36:07 – A Bottom Up Christian Influence on Government

40:30 – Politics is Downstream from Culture

45:14 – Guidance for Pastors on the 250th

48:24 – America’s Historical Role in the World

52:22 – Defining Christian Patriotism

58:03 – A Closing Prayer For Our Country

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More to Listen to:

• Good Faith 199 – David French asks: What the Heck Is a Christian Nationalist?
• Good Faith 181 – Can the Church Resist Political Extremism Again? With Paul D. Miller
• Good Faith 36 – The Religion of American Greatness
• Good Faith 207 – N.T. Wright Explains Ephesians: The Church, Christian Nationalism, and the Armor of God

Referenced in the Episode:

• Remembering the American Bicentennial Celebration
• Remembering Operation Sail
• Remembering the Miracle on Ice
• Article: Christian Nationalism’s Dark Forebears by David French
• Ben Rhodes’ All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches
• Jon Meacham’s American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House
• Legal Philosophy and the Founding Fathers
• James Madison’s Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments
• Who was the minister, Roger Williams?
• John Locke’s influence and Christian faith & legal philosophy of the American founding
• The story of Thomas Jefferson & Rev. John Leland
• Understanding Frederick Douglass and the Constitution
• Article: How Viktor Orbán’s Hungary Eroded the Rule of Law and Free Markets
• PEPFAR: President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
• Who is Freddy, the German?

Scriptures Referenced:

• 1 Timothy 2:1–6 (ESV)
• John 18:36 (ESV) 
• Colossians 1:15–17 (ESV) 
• Micah 6:8 (ESV) 
• Luke 3:12–14 (ESV)
• Philippians 3:20 (ESV)

More From David French:

• David French’s New York Times pieces HERE
• Follow David French on Threads

More From Russell Moore:

• Sign up for Russell Moore’s weekly newsletter Moore to the Point
• Listen to The Russell Moore Show (podcast)

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.