By Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
Our new friend and Christian brother, Daniel Samms, has written a very scholarly book entitled Christian Federalism. If you enjoy history, regardless of your religious affiliation, you will be educated by the truth.
Christian Federalism: The Founding Vision and the Road Ahead
by Daniel C Samms (Author) Format: Paperback
Available on Amazon.com
Is “Christian Nationalism” really the right word for what’s happening in American politics — or is it something the founders already had a name for?
For years, sociologists and pundits have used “Christian Nationalism” to describe conservative Christian political engagement. But, look past the headlines and into the founding documents themselves, and a different picture emerges — one almost no one is talking about: federalism, not nationalism.
The same founders who wrote that Congress “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion” simultaneously upheld explicitly Christian requirements for holding state office. Nearly every state had them. Several states had laws against blasphemy. The First Amendment restrained the federal government — while the states, acting as sovereign entities within the union, continued to govern as self-consciously Christian communities.
This book goes back to the primary sources to make the case: America’s founding fathers didn’t establish a secular nation or a centralized federal government— they established a federal union of Christian states. And once you understand that distinction, an entirely different strategy for faithful political engagement comes into focus.
Inside, you’ll find:
- A primary-source walkthrough of Scripture, state constitutions, and Christian laws from the founding era
- A framework for understanding the First Amendment through the lens of federalism rather than nationalism
- Practical, actionable steps for Christians to engage the public square through family, church, economics, and politics
- A path forward for restoring the liberty the founders actually intended — grounded in history, not slogans
This is a book of serious scholarship put to practical use. If you sense that America needs reformation but aren’t sure where to start, this book gives you both the historical foundation and the concrete next steps.
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