World Magazine on the David Barton Controversy

August 7, 2012/

Subtitled, “Christian critics challenge WallBuilders president on America’s founders,” this World Magazine article by Thomas Kidd (Baylor University) opens the door on a controversy that has been building for the past several months.

Several weeks ago, Jay Richards, Fellow at the Discovery Institute, began a process of asking conservative professors to read our book along with Barton’s materials. Kidd explains

Jay W. Richards, senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, and author with James Robison ofIndivisible: Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom Before It’s Too Late, spoke alongside Barton at Christian conferences as recently as last month. Richards says in recent months he has grown increasingly troubled about Barton’s writings, so he asked 10 conservative Christian professors to assess Barton’s work.

I am not going to give any additional quotes because I want you to go read the entire piece at World.

Tomorrow, look for another major media segment on this topic. I will have it here as soon as it comes out.

Warren Throckmorton

Posted in Warren Throckmorton

10 Comments

Teresa on May 30, 2018 at 3:29 pm

Warren, the following quote from Mike Lofgren defines David Barton’s cognitive dissonance on his version of American History:

The GOP cult of Ayn Rand is both revealing and mystifying. On the one hand, Rand’s tough guy, every-man-for-himself posturing is a natural fit because it puts a philosophical gloss on the latent sociopathy so prevalent among the hard right. On the other, Rand exclaimed at every opportunity that she was a militant atheist who felt nothing but contempt for Christianity. Apparently, the ignorance of most fundamentalist “values voters” means that GOP candidates who enthuse over Rand at the same time they thump their Bibles never have to explain this stark contradiction. And I imagine a Democratic officeholder would have a harder time explaining why he named his offspring “Marx” than a GOP incumbent would in rationalizing naming his kid “Rand.”
TxHistoryProf on August 9, 2012 at 1:52 pm

Paul,

Glenn Beck cited and pushed Ayn Rand’s work when his show was on FNC. Would I be correct in asserting that when you refer to “conservatives” not having a strong interest, you would be referring to moderate conservatives rather than right wing evangelicals?

Mark
TxHistoryProf on May 30, 2018 at 3:29 pm

Paul,

Glenn Beck cited and pushed Ayn Rand’s work when his show was on FNC. Would I be correct in asserting that when you refer to “conservatives” not having a strong interest, you would be referring to moderate conservatives rather than right wing evangelicals?

Mark
Paul Zummo on August 8, 2012 at 3:26 pm

That Lofgren quote is a bit disingenuous itself. Yes, there is certainly a contingent on the right that lauds Rand, but generally it is the more libertarian-leaning right-wingers who cite and applaud her. Generally speaking, conservative enthusiasm for Rand is not quite that widespread.

And, for what it’s worth, I don’t believe that Ron Paul named his son after Ayn Rand.
Teresa on August 8, 2012 at 2:18 pm

Warren, the following quote from Mike Lofgren defines David Barton’s cognitive dissonance on his version of American History:

The GOP cult of Ayn Rand is both revealing and mystifying. On the one hand, Rand’s tough guy, every-man-for-himself posturing is a natural fit because it puts a philosophical gloss on the latent sociopathy so prevalent among the hard right. On the other, Rand exclaimed at every opportunity that she was a militant atheist who felt nothing but contempt for Christianity. Apparently, the ignorance of most fundamentalist “values voters” means that GOP candidates who enthuse over Rand at the same time they thump their Bibles never have to explain this stark contradiction. And I imagine a Democratic officeholder would have a harder time explaining why he named his offspring “Marx” than a GOP incumbent would in rationalizing naming his kid “Rand.”
Paul Zummo on May 30, 2018 at 3:29 pm

That Lofgren quote is a bit disingenuous itself. Yes, there is certainly a contingent on the right that lauds Rand, but generally it is the more libertarian-leaning right-wingers who cite and applaud her. Generally speaking, conservative enthusiasm for Rand is not quite that widespread.

And, for what it’s worth, I don’t believe that Ron Paul named his son after Ayn Rand.
Teresa on August 8, 2012 at 10:45 am

Warren, it’s taken some time; but, finally, your book is receiving the attention it deserves.

A full-scale, newly published critique of Barton is coming from Professors Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter of Grove City College, a largely conservative Christian school in Pennsylvania.

I’m, also, amazed how Barton can’t even get or understand that you and your co-author Michael Coulter are conservative Christians … labeling you “academic elitists”.

Barton, also, states:

He contends that Throckmorton and Coulter are hostile toward his “personal religious beliefs”.

I guess, Barton’s “personal religious beliefs” mean that every conservative Christian, no matter of what stripe, has to believe what Barton believes … be damned the truth.

And, how cool is it, Warren, that 10 conservative Christians were asked to review Barton’s book; and, now your book stands as a necessary counter witness to Barton’s mythical history of Jefferson.

I’m quite surprised that Newt Gingrich would have given support to Barton’s work. I thought Gingrich was a history prof. But, as the article mentioned, a good many supporters of Barton’s work have probably never even read his book.
Teresa on May 30, 2018 at 12:27 pm

Warren, it’s taken some time; but, finally, your book is receiving the attention it deserves.

A full-scale, newly published critique of Barton is coming from Professors Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter of Grove City College, a largely conservative Christian school in Pennsylvania.

I’m, also, amazed how Barton can’t even get or understand that you and your co-author Michael Coulter are conservative Christians … labeling you “academic elitists”.

Barton, also, states:

He contends that Throckmorton and Coulter are hostile toward his “personal religious beliefs”.

I guess, Barton’s “personal religious beliefs” mean that every conservative Christian, no matter of what stripe, has to believe what Barton believes … be damned the truth.

And, how cool is it, Warren, that 10 conservative Christians were asked to review Barton’s book; and, now your book stands as a necessary counter witness to Barton’s mythical history of Jefferson.

I’m quite surprised that Newt Gingrich would have given support to Barton’s work. I thought Gingrich was a history prof. But, as the article mentioned, a good many supporters of Barton’s work have probably never even read his book.
Bernie on August 7, 2012 at 11:19 pm

“another major media segment”…I’m anxiously waiting for that.

Thank God there are people weighing in on this from all sides. What I esp find striking,”Richards says in recent months he has grown increasingly troubled about Barton’s writings, so he asked 10 conservative Christian professors to assess Barton’s work.” He DIDN’T ask 10 secular liberal professors! Let’s see Barton refute their assessment. On the other hand, he might just judge them by saying that they aren’t real Christians to begin with.
Bernie on May 30, 2018 at 3:29 pm

“another major media segment”…I’m anxiously waiting for that.

Thank God there are people weighing in on this from all sides. What I esp find striking,”Richards says in recent months he has grown increasingly troubled about Barton’s writings, so he asked 10 conservative Christian professors to assess Barton’s work.” He DIDN’T ask 10 secular liberal professors! Let’s see Barton refute their assessment. On the other hand, he might just judge them by saying that they aren’t real Christians to begin with.