The Eric Metaxas Show - #75 - Cynthia Scott

Episode Date: March 16, 2026

Today On The Eric Metaxas Show, Eric talks with Cynthia Scott about why she says God deserves the credit for America’s founding, how the First Great Awakening and George Whitefield shaped the generation that built the nation, and why the Christian roots of the Revolution, education, liberty, and even abolition have been hidden from modern Americans. They also discuss prayer, America 250, and why this moment is not just about fireworks and parades but about turning back to God and understanding the providential story of the nation. Subscribe for clips from The Eric Metaxas Show to hear politics and culture from a Christian perspective.

Race the runners. Raise the sails. Raise the sales. Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching. Over. Roger. Wait. Is that an enterprise sales solution? Reach sales professionals, not professional sailors. With LinkedIn ads, you can target the right people by industry, job title, and more. Start converting your B2B audience today. Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a free $250 credit for the next one. Get started today at LinkedIn.com slash campaign. Terms and conditions apply. Hey there, folks. As you know, I have a book coming out on the American Revolution. I am so excited about it. I can't tell you. Now, not just because I wrote a book, but what's in it. And at the heart of it is God's hand in creating this nation. I don't say these things lightly. My first guest today, or maybe

it's my only guest today, has written a book titled Celebrating God Our Founder at America's 250th birthday. Cynthia Scott, I am thrilled to talk to her about God's hand in this nation, even though I write about it somewhat in my book. Her whole book is about that. But before we go to her, I want to remind you, one of our sponsors, I've mentioned this before, is Magan David Adom. These are the folks in Israel, the EMTs, who save lives. When there's a bomb, they go. And they do that work. They need your help.

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This is the Erickmatakshish show. I'm Erickman Taxis. I have wonderful guests on the... the show and today I have a wonderful guest on the show talking about something that I'm very, very excited about. My guest, first of all, is Cynthia Scott. Cynthia, welcome. Thank you so much. The subject of this, you know, I could just explode here. The title of the book is Celebrating God Our Founder at America's 250th Birthday. I know that what you write about in the book is something that I write about in my book on The Revolution. It is so important.

that we understand what we're going to talk about here, and most Americans don't understand it. Let me start by asking you, how did you come to write this book? So five years ago, I was leading congregational prayer meetings with my pastor at our church, Christ's Church at Grove Farm, outside of Pittsburgh, and the Lord laid it on my heart to write prayers

to pray for the nation out of the history of the nation. So I began to research, and as I got to about the fourth or fifth prayer, it was as though a light bulb went off. And I thought, God founded this country. He is absolutely our founder. He does not get the credit for it, and he should. And that thought has never left me.

And then last May, just less than a year ago, God opened the door for me to put this into a book of both narrative, historical narrative, God's hand of Providence on the History of America, plus prayer in every chapter. Well, until I wrote my book on the Revolution, I was not aware of the depth of the Christian faith of the folks who brought about the revolution and how it is not debatable that there would be no revolution and no country without the faith of these men. There are a lot of people I think they like to pretend that maybe that's not true. There's no way around that.

There's no way around that. And people are often citing Washington was a deist. He was not a deist. It's insane, but they say it over and over. And when you discover it, my instinct, which is why I'm excited to talk to you, is like, everybody needs to know this because it's true.

And it's basically been suppressed in our lifetimes. People do not, they don't, I don't know, they just kind of act like we move past that. It's like, well, you can't. our history has been rewritten. That's why we didn't know it. And that's why I felt the same thing as you, compelled to get this message out. Because God deserves to get the credit. He deserves to be honored for this amazing nation. And we are an amazing nation. And it even goes back prior to the founders, it goes back to the pilgrims and the Puritans. I mean, you know this. And the covenant that they made with God, the way that they sought him, the way that they wanted to glorify him, and the biblical worldview,

that preceded our revolution. Well, this is the thing too. I think that even if you don't care about God, this is simply true. So if you care about truth, reality, facts, history, you have to deal with this. You have to figure out what do I do. And when I started my book, people kept saying,

what's your angle? And I thought, well, I don't have an angle. I just want to tell the story of the birth of the nation. I just want to tell the story. And in the course of it, this information comes out over and over and over and you think we really have been lied to. People have hidden this or people don't like it and so they sweep it away and they keep focusing on the Enlightenment and Jefferson or whatever. Anything but this. So let's talk about that. I mean, the birth of this nation, you know, obviously 1776, but it goes.

way before that, the roots of it, you know, you don't get Samuel Adams and John Adams without the Pilgrims and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Or John Quincy Adams, the last Puritan. I loved him. I fell in love with him when I was researching this book. What a godly man. I mean, the thread of the hand of God from the time of our revolution all the way to the freeing of the slaves, just before the freeing of the slaves, amazing.

But you're right. And you know, there are so many things that have come to me in terms of the time. in terms of the way that the colonists would have lived. I mean, they lived as people of prayer because they were dependent on God. And we're dependent on God for our days, which is why this book doesn't not just focus on the history, but the impact that we as Christians are meant to have

by seeking God for this moment in history. But you know, the other thing that has been so interesting to think about for me is that our founders were raised, during the first great awakening. The history books do not tell you that. So think about what they came out of. It's really exciting.

The preaching of George Whitfield. I don't know if you know this. This is, I discovered this like 10 years ago or more when I wrote my book, If You Can Keep It, but I couldn't believe this. I couldn't believe it when I discovered this. George Whitfield, you're talking about, was this, I always say he was the kind of evangelist

who makes St. Paul and Billy Graham look like lazy agnostic. Like he, there's, you. You almost think it's not possible for a human being to be preaching evangelistically like four times a day to thousands and thousands every day for decades. And it changed the whole world. It changed this country. And what has not been taught, which is why we're having this conversation, is that that was absolutely central to our identity becoming a nation. That's right. Like there's no way around that.

It's like if everybody said, who's your leader, and we said, well, Billy Graham is as close as we get to that. That's basically what you're dealing with. And this is during the time all of the founders are being raised during this period where everybody is talking about George Whitfield. Nobody's not talking about George Whitfield. 80% of the people heard him preach at least one time. I mean, you know all this better than I do. And it is just, it's mind-blowing to think about it. because we really don't have any reference point in our day

of the biblical worldview that they came out of. And the Christian principles underlying our Constitution. You know, people ask all the time, well, are we a Christian nation? Yes, we are absolutely a Christian nation. There's no doubt about it. We are a Christian nation. But the thing that I always want to say, it's sort of a caveat, but it's really clarification,

that we are so Christian as a nation that we don't force others, to be Christians. That's a Christian value. Toleration of others. Freedom. Not saying that it's every, but that's, and that really, and Whitfield is a big piece of that because he was a very ecumenical in the best sense Christian. He was like, don't tell me are you a Presbyterian or are you a Quaker or you're, you know,

he was really big on that and he kind of catechized a whole generation of Americans to think that's what's important. Jesus is important, not that I'm a congregationalist. or a Church of England or something, which is uniquely American. It is. And enables us to be America. But it wasn't then, the states, as you know, had different denominations that were prevalent

in each of the states. So for him to come, I mean, even the first Continental Congress, they couldn't decide on who to pray. Jacob Duchet, right? He was the one. Samuel Adams was the one who said, well, as long as he's a good Christian and a good patriot, I'll listen to him.

But this was even earth-shattering for the time which they lived. You must be born again. God loves you. God loves every individual. Like these are principles of the Word of God. And they are embedded in who we are and they are embedded in our documents. And I am so thrilled because otherwise we would never have survived for 250 years and we wouldn't have the freedoms that we have. And that's why we have to go back to the beginning and we have to know this stuff. And that's why your book is called Celebrating God or Founder America's 250th birthday. And there's so much in here.

But what you just mentioned, that scene at the first continental Congress. So it's 1774. It is Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia. And the idea that they wanted to begin with prayer. But then two people, I think it was one of the Rutledge's from South Carolina and John Jay of New York, said, eh, better not.

Not because they didn't want prayer. but they thought it would be divisive because there's so many different denominations. And then, as you just said, Samuel Adam stands up, who's in some ways the most strong Christian in the room and says, I will be happy to hear a prayer from anyone.

And when he points out D'Shea, I mean, D'Shea is Church of England. So that's almost Catholic. It's like right at the edge of what we would put up with. And so he goes out of his way to say, I don't have a problem with it, as long as, you know, and you realize that was our founding. That was what they began with prayer. Right.

And the prayer that they began with, wasn't it, Isaiah 35, come to our defense, Lord, I paraphrase that. But the prayer that was the standard reading. I was going to say, that's the key point, right? It was, I don't know what they call it. But they didn't choose. Impregatory. They didn't choose that scripture. They just opened the book, the Episcopal book, like, okay, what's,

the scripture today and it fit exactly. They all felt it was like chosen for this. It was kind of a, it was like God's blessing on their gathering to read that prayer. It was another God moment in our history and there's a whole thread of them, which is why it's important to go back to the beginnings and then and just watch what God has done. And you're right, Americans really need to know this history. We need to reteach this. We need for them to see because God is amazing and nobody creates a nation like he did here. Well, and the thing too is that it's true.

Notice this is not our opinion. Even if you don't like it or don't agree with it or you have questions, this is true. And we have been sold this bill of goods. I mean, I grew up hearing over and over and over again that we're a secular, secular country, separation of church and state means, you know, that Christians have no nothing to do with the government. And you realize that that's all untrue. It's completely untrue, but it has been beat into our heads forever. And if you want to know why we're so confused, it's because like we've drifted away from, I mean, you mentioned John Quincy Adams. The whole idea, too, is that

what the founders started with, that DNA, if you follow that through, it'll, that, that Christian founding leads to the abolition of slavery. Yes, absolutely. That's what leads to the abolition of slavery in America. That's right. Was them sticking to this, we're Christians, and we're gonna see this through. And he and Congress specifically.

Well, I was gonna say, yeah. You know, what you, so do you write about that in the book? Yes. Because I don't go past 1783. So tell us about that. In the book, you talk about that. So I take it through the revolution. And each of these chapters is brief, not like an in-depth.

I mean, what you've written is so in-depth. But the goal of this book is to do a couple of things, to give God the honor for what he's done throughout our history. And so it's a broad-brush approach. And it's not just history, it's prayer, because the reader is important to this day and needs to engage with God himself. But remember, not all men were free until the Emancipation Proclamation.

So I had to take it through there. So after the Revolution, the Constitution, and then I go on to the Second Great Awakening, which was a whole other type of move of God, and then the... And when roughly was the Second Great Awakening? I mean, that's Moody, I guess, right? Yes, and I look at it as like 1830s, 40s, you know, 50s, right before the Civil War again, and God aligning his people. And, I mean, not all Christians were against slavery.

There were some, just like today, that twist the word to promote unbiblical things, but it was God who moved. And that John Quincy Adams, God used him in such a powerful way. He's really remarkable. Well, it's interesting to me that all of these founders, they believed God had a plan for this nation. They didn't just think, oh, well, we're breaking away from Great Britain and let's see how it goes. They really believed that this nation was part of God's plan. they call it, you know, a providential dispensation, that this is part of God's providence in history,

which, again, that's also not taught. You know, it's maybe sneered at as, oh, that's kind of like manifest destiny or something like that. It's like, well, no, there's something else going on here. And even if you don't agree with it, it's interesting to think that they really believed that. We wouldn't have an America

if they didn't believe that God had a special role for America. So you begin the book with the Pilgrims? With the Pilgrims, yes, and the Puritans. And then it goes through, I touch on education, the foundation of education in America. Talk about that. Please talk about that. You know, 106 of the first 108 colleges

were founded in the Christian faith. They were created, like Yale, yours, to train pastors. And they taught the children at home from the Bible because they felt that citizens needed to know the word God. I mean, self-governance begins with us, right? And so our educational system, it's gone so far the other way. It's time for it to come back. But we were based in the Christian faith. And what a little historical or a little fact that I learned is that anywhere where the Bible is elevated, education is elevated. The people learn to read because they need. And so society is elevated.

I did not learn this until I wrote my book on the Revolution. I realized that John Adams writes about this, that when the Puritans come over to Boston in 1630, within six years, they start Harvard College, and they say that every single town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony has to have a grammar school, because this all comes out of the Reformation, we have to understand the Bible,

We have to understand how to think. But that's always been sold as, oh, those are enlightenment values. It's like, no. No. But you realize that that's all I've ever heard. That's the Enlightenment. Reason. Reason. It's like, no. It comes out of the Reformation.

It comes out of the Puritans. Right. The American Revolution resulted in freedom. The French Revolution, based on the Enlightenment, resulted in the reign of terror. I mean, there's such a difference between these underlying worldviews. And we need to understand where we came from so we can set the course for where we're going. Well, that's so true that they're, and it's so easy to go wrong. I mean, you know, Jefferson and Thomas Payne, they went so wrong because they love the idea of liberty,

equality, fraternity. They love those ideas, but they didn't understand that if you pull God out, it falls apart. Like you can't have real liberty and self-government and freedom. You can't have that without God. So the founders in this country clearly got that. But you can see how some people, I mean, in France, they didn't get that. And it becomes a bloodbath. Right. Well, our Declaration of Independence, I mean, you know all this.

So do your listeners. It says very clearly that our rights come from God. And that means that no man or government government is entitled to take them away. That is foundational to our freedom, period. Well, Cynthia Scott, you wrote a book here, Celebrating God, our founder, at America's 250th birthday. Let's talk more about what is in this book, because there's a lot. I don't know. Where do we start? Where should we start? I mean, we've touched on a few things already, but what else? Well, I'd like to stress about it is that without prayer, we wouldn't have.

have had the country either because prayer is relationship with God. They needed to hear from him. They cried out to him. It's very much, it's the means to our relationship with God. So this book didn't start as a history book. This book started as a series of prayers for the nation. And what I'd like to stress about that is that we have the same God-given responsibility in our day to seek him for what's going on in our time.

We, too, are facing existential threats in our day, and we must turn back to him. So this book is very much a calling to turn back to God, to see who he is and what he's done and to turn back. Well, I'm really excited that you've written this, because as I said, it's part of what my book's about, but you really focus right in on it. And I think there is a hunger. I think there are a lot of people in their questions, how? And I know that part of that is in this book, The How, if you're trying to figure out how to do that.

You said you have prayers in here. Every chapter is half narrative and half prayer. And so we start with repentance. We go into Thanksgiving. We pray for the government, the leaders, the people, the culture, and finally the church in every chapter. Now, this is just a starting point for people. I mean, these are prayers in my words, but everyone should pray in their own words, right? But it's a place to connect history with the purpose.

present day to impact the future. There's a time and there's a little place in each chapter for the reader to listen to what God is saying to them because it's important that they hear God for themselves. Each person has a unique calling. We're all important to what God is doing at this moment. And then there's a call to action at the end of every chapter. And so for example, during the chapter for education, it might say, are you feeling called to pray for your schools?

or a teacher, or run for school board, you know, tangible things. Just little prompts that could get someone moving. Because in my mind, prayer begets action, gods, and ours. We're not just called to pray. We're called to take action. So that's also in there. Well, it is interesting. Part of what I've learned over the years when I wrote my book,

If You Can Keep It in particular, is that if we, the people, are not involved, it just goes away. I mean, that's the difference between, you know, you can move to China, and all you have to do is what you're told. You don't have to take any responsibility. If you want liberty, you have to take responsibility. That's right. And there's nothing onerous about it. I mean, God has stuff for each of us to do, and he made each of us to have the abilities and the gifts to do what he's made us to do.

But I think it's an exciting invitation to people to say that I have a role to play. It might be small, but it's important. Yes. That I do whatever it is God made me to do, and part of that has to do with keeping the Republic, that we all have something to do. And I know that part of what you write in here is about that, that every single one of us needs a place to begin.

Because I really believe we're in the beginning of huge revival, but we've only begun. I pray we are. You know, towards the end of the book, I talk about American... exceptionalism and prosperity and that the ways of God as established in our documents and our founding documents are good in establishing a nation and providing the opportunity for people to prosper. Prosperity is good.

I'm not talking about the prosperity gospel. I'm just talking about God wanting to bless his people because of obedience. And I do talk about obedience. And then at the end in the last chapter, looking forward, what do the next two 250 years should God decide to Terry look like. I mean, we need to be thinking about that, and we are living in this amazing moment of history. I'm just so thankful to have been able to bring forth this book and point people to God and to what he's done, because this is an incredible moment.

It's just so pregnant with so much opportunity. And, you know, I can say, I know that that's true. I know that we are in, first of all, we're in an existential crisis. you mentioned that, no different than the revolution or the Civil War, that the only answer is turning back to God. And it's not going to be everybody, but if enough people turn back to God and do what God asked them to do, we won't just save the nation. It's not just about saving it, but it's about where do we go from here and what is God's will for America? Yes. And in, I mean, in writing my book, I realized that the, the, the, the, the, the, the

especially the Boston Puritans, they really felt that this is an opportunity to do something that's never been done in the history of the world. To create a nation that is fundamentally Christian, not just in terms of what people believe, no, because you can't force people to believe anything. But in the way we govern in giving people possibilities and the freedom to flourish and all that stuff, we've put men on the moon. we've done so much and that comes out of that. It does. And clearly we're not done. Clearly God has more for America. And I do really believe it is to bless the whole world.

It's not just for America. I agree with you. And that's what's so beautiful. It's God always, you know, he blesses us to be a blessing. And that's at the heart of this. Man, this hot honey chicken and waffle sandwich from racetrack is stacked with flavor. Hey boss. Looks like the build's coming together.

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Whatever gets you going. Available through May 5th that participating in locations serve 6 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. You asked about the book, and I am hoping, in addition to giving God the glory and the credit that he deserves, which he does, that this will be a place where people can begin their celebration of the 250th, where they can engage with God around what he's done in Thanksgiving and listen to him for what's coming, and really that our celebrations will be much more than just fireworks and parades, all of which I love. I love parties.

But there's a depth of understanding that, and we can really, I mean, if we can understand where we've come from, The celebration is so much greater, it's so much sweeter. Well, that's the whole thing. It's like saying, what's Christmas about? And you say, well, it's about getting gifts and a tree. It's like, no, the gifts and the tree are about celebrating the birth of Jesus. What is July 4th about?

It's about firecrackers and hot dogs. It's like, no, no, no. We have hot dogs and firecrackers to celebrate liberty, to celebrate these ideas that are so beautiful. Now, this book is out now, right? It is, yes. Okay, celebrating God our founder at America's 250th birthday, Cynthia Scott. That's easy to spell, Scott. But yeah, I'm excited about the book because it gives people a way in to what do I do?

How can I, and I know there's stuff in here that we haven't talked about, that people, we need to know this. And you know that on May 17th, President Trump is rededicating the nation to God. That's mind-blowing, Eric. Excuse me, what? Yes. Are you kidding me? Surely George W. Bush or the big evangelical, surely he would have done that. No.

It's an amazing thing. It's an amazing thing. That this president is sticking it out there publicly and saying we are going to rededicate the nation to God on May 17th. And I expect there to be, I don't know, an earthquake or a meteor or like that is so, such a big deal. You know, these public days of prayer and fasting are very much a part of our history. Prayer and fasting in times that were difficult, prayer and Thanksgiving, like what we're talking about on rededicating the nation. This is in our tradition.

This is in our history. What he's doing, Washington did it. Lincoln did it. Many, many governors did it. This is who we are. Well, actually, what's crazy is I was editing my book and I came upon, you know, in March of 1776, the British were chased that of Boston and everybody is out of their minds happy because this is it's almost like they won the war they can't believe that you know the British are high tail in it out of there and Washington decides in March of 1776 to appoint a day May 17th 1776 that the entire nation will have a day of of prayer and fasting and thanks giving to God for what has just happened. So that's May 17th. So I don't I didn't realize that.

Right. Well I didn't even until I read it in my own book and I thought that's why. That's it. That's it. That's why they picked May 17th, 2026 is exactly 250 years since we as a nation right did this and and again that's just one example. Washington and all of them they appointed kind of old Congress appointed days of fasting and prayer and Thanksgiving over and over and over and you're mentioning it but it's That's who we are. That's who we are. And do you know, April 19, 1775, the Battle of Lexington, one month earlier, the governor of Connecticut

called for a day of prayer for the colonies. Remember that? Guess what? Nobody knows this except you and me. When I discovered this, I said, this has to be a mistake. And I looked into it. I've never heard anybody mention it. And you just mentioned it.

I just learned it in my research. There are a few other people who know it. And you realize he didn't know. Well, of course. But you realize he didn't know. Because he didn't know what Trumbull in Connecticut, the governor of Connecticut, didn't know that that would be the day that they need prayer. Nobody knew. Nobody knew.

1775. Yeah. Lexington and Concord. And you mentioned that in here. I do. And that's God. See, that's why. Because that's God going before the colonists.

That's what this book aims to show. There are lots of facts in history. But there are moments. are moments when you can really see the hand of God, preparing the way, shaping the nation, shaping the thinking. Yeah. And there are a lot of those moments actually. Well, see, that's the thing.

And I think that because we become such a secular culture, people are afraid to talk about that. These are just facts. The facts. And you have to look at the facts and say, it sure seems like God's hand was on this country. I mean, it just seems like that over and over and over. I mean, I only mention a couple in my book, but Michael Medved wrote a book called The American Miracle, and you have stories in this book. But it seems dramatically clear that God was involved in creating this country for his purposes in history. You can't have all these miracles and all these things over and over and over and say, well, it's coincidence.

Nobody believed it more than Washington. Right. I was just thinking that worse than an infidel if you thought that God wasn't involved. That's what he called the people who didn't think. That's his line. And where does he say that, either in the first inaugural or the, or I don't remember, I think it's first inaugural April 30th, 1789, I think. But he is more adamant about that than anybody. And I thought all these people who keep saying, well, George Washington was a deist,

it is a vile lie. He was not. He was a fire-breathing Christian. with a praying mother. Oh, yes, yes. Mary Ball, Washington. She was very Christian. Martha was extremely Christian.

I didn't know that. I discovered all this writing in my book. And he was famously taciturn figure, but he, I mean, I think it's his farewell address when he leaves his second term. like 35% of it, more than a third of it, is about God. Wow. I thought, nobody twisted his arm.

Yes, no, no. Certainly not then. It's absolutely amazing. Well, Cynthia, what a joy to be with you. I want to make sure everybody knows. The title of the book by Cynthia Scott is Celebrating God Our Founder at America's 250th birthday, Celebrating God Our Founder. I hope folks will get a copy of this and will like,

dive in and be a part of what God is doing. Thank you so much, Cynthia. Thank you so much for having me. It's been fun. It's a joy. Thank you. I don't like alarmism. I don't like fear mongering. I especially don't like people who profit from panic. But I do believe in telling the truth, especially when the markets are reminding us how fragile things are. Over the last few weeks, we've all watched the volatility, stock swinging, confidence shaking, long-standing assumptions, suddenly looking less solid. Many economists are calling this moment the everything bubble, where nearly every asset class has been inflated at the same time by years of cheap money and reckless global policy. This isn't political. It's not partisan. It's math. And when confidence erodes, history shows us what tends to happen next.

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