FAITH OF THE FOUNDERS: James Madison on Why Belief in God is Essential to a Republic
(QUICK READ) — James Madison was a student of the great Presbyterian minister, educator and signer of the Declaration of Independence, Johnathan Witherspoon. It was by Witherspoon that Madison was introduced to the ancient classics on government like Plato and Aristotle.
Even more importantly, Witherspoon drilled his brightest students in the works of the then-contemporary leading lights of political theory and analysis such as John Locke and the Count Montesquieu.
And all of these great works were framed by Witherspoon in the context of Reformed Christianity, with its deep emphasis on individual liberty, the limitations of state authority and primacy of Scripture over every area of daily life.
“The belief in a God, All-Powerful, wise, and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources, nor adapted with too much solicitude to the different characters and capacities impressed with it.” – James Madison, cited by Mark Strand
Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States of America.
Many of the quotes reprinted in HillFaith’s “The Faith of The Founders” weekly series of posts are compiled from Benjamin F. Morris’ classic work, “The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States.” Morris, an historian and pastor, published the first edition more than a century ago.
Quotations are also compiled from Mark Strand, author of the Daily Inspirations email he shares on request here and that HillFaith highly recommends to all congressional aides, be they working on Capitol Hill or in a state or district office back home.
Mark Strand was for 16 years President of the Congressional Institute, and he is a former fellow of the Harvard Institute of Politics. He was also a 24-year veteran congressional staffer, including four years as Chief of Staff to Sen. James Talent (R-Missouri).