I contend that no book figured more prominently than the Bible in the political thought of these patriots we call the founders.

Nations, as well as individuals, must be virtuous and righteous if they desire to be stable, prosperous, and tranquil.

The republican model described in the Hebrew Scriptures reassured pious Americans that republicanism was a political system favored by God.

God ordained and established civil government, but only to serve the common good. A civil government that oppresses its people and acts contrary to the people's interests deposes itself, ceases to be a legitimate government, and, therefore, citizens are no longer obligated by Scripture to obey it.

God elevates nations that behave in conformity with God's standards but he withdraws his blessings from a people who disregard those standards.

There were many Americans in the Revolutionary era who believed that they, like the children of Israel, were oppressed by their colonial rulers, and they looked to God for deliverance from the tyranny of their pharaoh, George III.

One should study the Bible alongside other intellectual traditions - such as British constitutionalism, Enlightenment liberalism, and classical republicanism - in order to truly understand the American founding.