Finding the Founding

As the United States of America approaches its 250th anniversary, many Americans are wondering what binds them together as one people in a deeply polarized age. Is America a nation of ideas--the propositional nation, codified in the principles of limited government, individual rights, and liberal democracy--available to any and all? Or is America a nation of heritage, with a specific culture and set of customs shared by only a few? Some of America's deepest divides, gravest culture wars, and even most shocking news headlines arise from these very questions. In Finding the Founding, Casey Spinks turns to a close reading of the Declaration of Independence to meditate on these same questions. From these meditations arises the hope that they can be answered by paying close attention to the theology of the Declaration: the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," the "Creator," the "Supreme Judge of the World," and "Divine providence." It is on these principles, Spinks argues, that America is founded--both its ideals of equality, natural rights, and limited government, and its united civic culture. Perhaps if this truth is realized, then people today may also come to hold these truths of the Declaration as self-evident.

About the Author :
Casey Spinks is a contributing editor to Front Porch Republic and a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Civic Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also the author of Kierkegaard's Ontology (2026).

Review :
"Casey Spinks looks at the Declaration with fresh eyes, revealing a layer of theological argument that many readers miss. By taking the Declaration seriously as 'American scripture, ' Spinks reminds us that separation of church and state does not and cannot mean a division between religion and public life."
--Sam Goldman, Editor, Fusion

"In this close reading of the Declaration of Independence, which gives splendidly intense attention to the text's theological dimensions and implications, Casey Spinks has sought to refresh our understanding of the American Founding, and in doing so has made a distinctive and deeply reflective contribution to this extraordinary moment in our national history."
--Wilfred McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair of Classical History and Western Civilization, Hillsdale College

"Casey Spinks offers an interpretation of the Declaration of Independence that is at once deeply insightful and beautifully crafted."
--Hans Zeiger, President, Jack Miller Center

"Through close and careful reading, Casey Spinks reintroduces Americans to the Declaration of Independence and shows us how its words speak directly to our moment and its challenges. This is a must-read for serious citizens."
--Yuval Levin, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

"This is a book worthy of the nation's 250th birthday. Proceeding through the Declaration phrase by memorable phrase, Casey Spinks explores the themes of Nature and God, Necessity and Law, Individuals and Peoples, Rights and Duties, Virtue and Providence. Arguing that a revival of republican self-government requires attention to the ultimate ground on which the founding principles rest, Spinks makes a compelling case for the theological dimensions of the American Experiment. As human beings, created equal, what sort of politics and what sort of happiness are suitable for us? Finding the Founding is a truth-seeking quest in which all American citizens--whether believers in a living God or not--can and should join."
--Diana Schaub, Visiting Professor, School of Civic Leadership, University of Texas at Austin