Episode Details

What did early American Presbyterians believe about religious liberty, the Constitution, and Christian government?

In this episode of The Magistrate, James Baird is joined by John "Saint Something" St Martin to explore the forgotten history of the Christian Amendment movement. Together they examine why many influential Presbyterians believed the U.S. Constitution should explicitly acknowledge God, Jesus Christ, and the authority of Scripture.

The conversation covers Thomas Jefferson's views of Presbyterians, the National Reform Association, Old Princeton theology, the Westminster Standards, liberty of conscience, Christian education, immigration, and what these debates can teach the Church today.

Was this movement a forgotten chapter of American history—or a vision worth revisiting?