The Genevan Reformation and the American Founding by David W. Hall. (Lexington Books, 2003), 484 pages, hardback.
Reviewed by Byron Snapp
April 12, 2005

According to Patrick Henry, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” David Hall, by means of meticulous research and articulate writing, proceeds to compile evidence that colonial leaders were grounded in and motivated by Calvinistic thinking. The colonial concepts of civil government were rooted in the Genevan Reformation of the 16 th century. These roots had transformed the thinking of many Christians in the nearly two centuries prior to the American War of Independence.

In the book’s early pages the author notes that Thomas Jefferson unsuccessfully attempted to relocate Calvin’s Geneva Academy to the Potomac area. He also admired and used the Calvinistic seal “Rebellion to Tyrants Is Obedience to Tyrants.” Hall transports the reader to Geneva and explores the political context of the Swiss cantons, where God providentially placed Calvin, Beza, Zwingli, and others. It was to Geneva that many Christians fled in the midst of monarchial persecution in their own countries. Many refugees, including Knox, studied and discussed Scripture and its application to civil government. Calvin was influenced by Augustine’s thoughts, which continued to be developed into the medieval era. The refugees took their newly acquired instruction back to their native lands and sought to apply it politically.

The reformers were gripped by the fact that the Bible speaks to all of life. Their study showed how relevant scriptural principles are to all mankind and every sphere. Only God is sovereign. All men, even monarchs, are under God’s law and ultimately accountable to Him. All men are sinners. Thus, government cannot be entrusted into the hands of one person. Governments need internal checks and balances because of man’s fallen nature. Citizens themselves should elect the magistrates to whom they are willing to submit.

Prompted by the massacre of the Huguenots on St. Bartholomew’s Eve, the reformers further refined their political thinking by suggesting the circumstances and conditions under which lower magistrates might rise up against higher magistrates who had broken their oath to govern the people righteously.

The author repeatedly reminds the reader that this political thinking did not take place in a vacuum. Parishioners saw themselves as sinners joined together in churches comprised of sinful people. Church governments, as well as civil governments, needed accountability through a plurality of officers. The minister must not act as the sole authority in local affairs. Levels of ecclesiastical courts provided access for the aggrieved to pursue their appeals. As the benefits of this church structure became increasingly evident, citizens began to work toward similar applications in other realms.

Hall develops his thesis by studying how this thinking was developed in various countries and over several generations. It was crucial for these men to circulate their information in sermons, tracts, pamphlets, and books. He has unearthed a wealth of Reformed writings with many quotations from original sources. He has provided ample ammunition to correct today’s false teaching regarding the intellectual roots that were foundational for our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The final chapters of this volume are used to evidence the depth of Calvinistic thought in the colonies. Many immigrants were already rooted in Calvinistic principles when they landed on the North American continent. After decades of struggling with the issues, the colonists grasped the concept that King George IV had broken his covenant with them and thus no longer had a right to rule the thirteen colonies. By the book’s end, no reader should be surprised to learn that the British referred to this war as a “Presbyterian Rebellion.”

Hall does far more than string together relevant quotes to make his case. Instead, he introduces the reformers and shows them to be imperfect individuals. He deftly unfolds the religious and political contexts of their lives. He is mindful of educators challenging students to think in terms of Biblical truth and of pastors expositing and applying Scripture to the needs of society. He never forgets the providence of God that was clearly involved in the success of our government’s beginnings. He clearly shows that religion and politics do mix and that civil governments are rooted in theological tenets.