Did Christian Faith Shape America’s Founding?
Editor's Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Regent University, its faculty, administration, or affiliates.
As the nation marks 250 years of independence, a new documentary is asking a question that still stirs debate in classrooms, pulpits, and living rooms across America: was the United States founded as a Christian nation?
Faith in America: 250 Years, a 20-minute film released by Focus on the Family’s Daily Citizen ahead of Independence Day, answers with a resounding yes, and it does so with a familiar lineup of voices from Regent University’s Robertson School of Government.
A Regent Presence at the Center of the Conversation
The film features Dean Michele Bachmann, J.D., of Regent’s Robertson School of Government, alongside three of her Robertson School colleagues: Dr. A.J. Nolte, Associate Professor of Politics and Director of the Institute for Israel Studies; Dr. Stephen Perry, Chair of the Journalism and Communication Studies Department; and Dr. Stephen King, Professor of Government and Criminal Justice. Timothy S. Goeglein, Vice President of Government Affairs at Focus on the Family, rounds out the panel of scholars and former elected officials.
Their shared thesis: the American founding cannot be understood apart from the Christian convictions that shaped it. As the film puts it, the Declaration of Independence was rooted in biblical truth, and the nation’s birth depended on the sacrifice and engagement of Christian men and women.
For Michele Bachmann, the film is as much a call to hope as it is a history lesson. Reflecting on the nation’s future, she shared a conviction that has anchored much of her public ministry since arriving at Regent: any nation that follows the Lord will be blessed, and she carries real hope that America will still be standing, faithful, 250 years from now.
Why This Conversation Matters Now
The timing is significant. Faith in America: 250 Years joins a growing wave of scholarship and media marking the semiquincentennial, including the White House’s The Story of America: The Faith of Our Founders, featuring Regent’s Dr. Mark David Hall, and the documentary By Dawn’s Early Light, which draws on the expertise of Regent-connected voices like Hall, Jordan Sekulow, Kristen Waggoner, and Bill Federer.
It’s worth noting that the debate is not one-sided. Historians and commentators outside this circle have pushed back, arguing that Enlightenment thought, not Scripture alone, shaped many of the founders’ views, and figures like Jefferson and Franklin held unorthodox or deist beliefs. That ongoing disagreement is precisely why Regent scholars believe the conversation deserves careful, faith-informed engagement rather than silence.
Regent’s Broader Role in the 250th Anniversary
This film is only one thread in a much larger tapestry of Regent’s engagement with America’s 250th anniversary. The Robertson School of Government’s five-part American Miracle series brought in nationally recognized voices like Mark Meadows, David and Tim Barton, and Col. John Eidsmoe to explore the nation’s founding and constitutional principles. Regent University also hosted the Carry the Torch educator conference, equipping teachers nationwide with classroom-ready resources on faith and the founding.
Taken together, these projects reflect something bigger than any single film or event: Regent University’s ongoing commitment to training principled leaders who understand, and can articulate, the biblical foundations of American liberty.
Watch the Film
Faith in America: 250 Years is available now on YouTube, Facebook, and X. As the nation reflects on two and a half centuries of freedom, it offers Regent’s community a timely opportunity to consider what it truly means to carry that inheritance forward.
