Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Goff, Brendan

Area of Concentration

History

Abstract

In my thesis I explore the origin of and the current iteration of the myth that the United States was founded as and remains a Christian Nation. Specifically, I explore the effects of the death of George Washington during the early years of the republic in establishing the myth, followed by an examination of televangelists like Jerry Falwell in spreading the myth the last half of the twentieth century by citing the mythologized histories of the nineteenth century that falsely state the Founders were devout Christians with intentions to create a Christian Nation by law. My final chapter is an examination of the myth as it appears today and of the main political goal of the myth of the Christian Nation, creating the Moral Establishment. I discuss the aims of the Moral Establishment, which are designed to create laws that conform to Protestant Christian morals and biblical teachings as well as define “freedom of religion” as “the freedom to be Christian” and therefore establishing some civil rights applicable only to Christian citizens.

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