The Making of the American Mind with Matthew Spalding
Life and Books and Everything
Clearly Reformed
4.5 • 661 Ratings
🗓️ 2 February 2026
⏱️ 69 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The United States is unique in how much attention it pays to its founding, its founders, and its founding documents. Arguably, the most famous and most important thing that Americans have ever written is the Declaration of Independence. In this fascinating and illuminating conversation, Kevin talks to Matthew Spalding, of Hillsdale’s D.C. campus, about his new book The Making of the American Mind: The Story of our Declaration of Independence. In particular, they explore the theology and the Declaration and the essential role that the Christian tradition played in the founding and in the Declaration. Was America founded as a Christian nation? Listen all the way to the end to hear Dr. Spalding careful and nuanced answer to that question.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode of Life and Books and Everything is brought to you by Crossway, |
| 0:11.8 | publisher of O Sacred Head Now Wounded, a liturgy for daily worship from Pasca to Pentecost. |
| 0:20.1 | This is written by Jonathan Gibson. Johnny presents a 40-day |
| 0:25.8 | devotional liturgy to help readers effectively prepare their hearts from Pasca. That is Easter |
| 0:30.9 | to Pentecost. You may have seen or used some of the other volumes in this same series, The Be Thou My Vision, |
| 0:40.3 | which many of us have used and benefited from, which pulls together, I think of as sort of a |
| 0:46.0 | reformed version of the Book of Common Prayer, and it goes through with a daily liturgy |
| 0:53.7 | for you in family worship or in your own |
| 0:56.9 | private worship, some readings, some prayers, some scripture, some creedal material. And this is |
| 1:03.9 | the same format, but specifically for that season from Easter to Pentecost. |
| 1:11.6 | It helps individuals and families establish a posture of remembrance and gratitude |
| 1:16.4 | as they focus on what Christ has done through his temptations, life, trial, passion, death, burial, |
| 1:22.6 | resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost. |
| 1:25.6 | So pick up a copy wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org |
| 1:30.2 | slash Easter Liturgy. Learn how you can get 30% off with a free Crossway Plus account. |
| 1:35.6 | We also want to thank our friends at Desiring God for supporting the podcast. As we are now |
| 1:41.5 | many weeks into the new year, |
| 1:44.5 | you may look back at your New Year's resolutions |
| 1:47.9 | or some of your goals and already finding hard |
| 1:51.3 | to keep up with them. |
| 1:53.3 | And DG wants to help us try to make good on some of those aims. |
| 2:00.7 | Every good resolve. |
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