This video featuring professor Mark David Hall challenges the common historical narrative that America’s founders were predominantly deists seeking to separate church and state. Hall argues that they were largely committed Christians whose faith deeply influenced the nation’s political foundations and constitutional order. He highlights that Congress immediately requested a national day of thanksgiving and prayer following the approval of the First Amendment, demonstrating that the founders saw no conflict between public religion and civic duty. Furthermore, research indicates that the founders cited the Bible far more frequently in political writings than European enlightenment thinkers. Hall explains that the Declaration of Independence grounds unalienable rights in a Creator, while the Constitution’s structure of checks and balances was designed based on the belief in human sinfulness. Finally, the video outlines how the founders moved toward robust protections for religious liberty for all, exemplified by President Washington’s 1790 letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport.