The Christian Past That Wasn't: Formerly Telling Jefferson Lies cover art

The Christian Past That Wasn't: Formerly Telling Jefferson Lies

The Christian Past That Wasn't: Formerly Telling Jefferson Lies

By: Warren Throckmorton
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Season Three began April 28. I am renaming the podcast The Christian Past That Wasn't to be consistent with the forthcoming book from Broadleaf Books, The Christian Past That Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History. This is so much more than a fact-checking book; it critiques the entire Christian nationalist project and misuse of history for political gain. Consistent with the first two seasons of this podcast, The Christian Past That Wasn't demonstrates that separation of church and state was the intention of the framers of the charter documents. We would be so much better off if we stayed true to separation of church and state in the US.


Podcast summary:

Telling Jefferson Lies chronicles how history can be hijacked for ideological and political purposes, as well as a much broader story about the surge of Christian nationalism and the misuse of history which often goes along with it. The series begins in season one with an in-depth consideration of the methods of Christian nationalist story teller David Barton. Then I tell the story of how his book on Jefferson was pulled from publication in 2012 and the response of evangelicals to that rare event. From there, I broaden the scope to examine the varieties of Christian nationalism and the negative consequences of this way of thinking about church and state. The last segment examines the reasons why the separation of church and state is good history, good civics, and good religion.


Season two consists of interviews with experts on Christian nationalism and the effects of religious liberty on church and state.

For more information, go to http://www.gettingjeffersonright.com and http://www.christianpast.com.

© 2026 Warren Throckmorton World
Episodes
  • America is Not a Covenant Nation - The Christian Past That Wasn't Launch Episode

    America is Not a Covenant Nation - The Christian Past That Wasn't Launch Episode
    May 19 2026

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    Today is the official publication date of The Christian Past That Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History. Although it has been available for a couple of weeks at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, today it goes on sale everywhere. This segment continues to be guided by the contents of the book. Today, I focus on the first myth: America is a covenant homeland for European Protestants. The claims are persistent on this one and it undergirds most of the rest of the myths.

    In this segment, I discuss clips of VP JD Vance, Eric Metaxas, and Sen. Josh Hawley making various covenant oriented claims.

    Produced and written by Warren Throckmorton

    Book website: www.christianpast.com
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    20 mins
  • Evidence the American System Was Not Founded on Christianity - Bonus Episode

    Evidence the American System Was Not Founded on Christianity - Bonus Episode
    May 14 2026

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    America as we celebrate it today was founded in stages. Independence came via the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War. Our current system of government came later via the Constitutional Convention in 1787. In this short episode, I focus on the system created by the Constitution as amended by the Bill of Rights.

    For more information see www.Christianpast.com.

    Written and produced by Warren Throckmorton
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    5 mins
  • What Draws People to Christian Nationalism? An Interview with Jeremie Beller

    What Draws People to Christian Nationalism? An Interview with Jeremie Beller
    May 12 2026

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    In my book The Christian Past That Wasn't (Broadleaf Books), I spend two chapters on the factors that make Christian nationalism attractive. In this segment, I interview Dean of Oklahoma Christian University's College of Bible, Jeremie Beller on the subject of terror management. This theory provides a powerful, research-based account of what makes nationalism attractive to people. Jeremie's theological expertise provides a novel perspective on the application of terror management to Christian nationalism.

    I go into this topic in depth in chapter one of the new book. Chapter two discusses the role of deception by Christian organizations and how ingroup bias keeps people loyal to the overall group goals despite the deception.

    To order the book go to www.christianpast.com.

    Written, produced, and hosted by Warren Throckmorton
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    38 mins
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