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

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

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

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.

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.

The true greatness of a nation lies in its character, not in its economic or military power.

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