The American Revolution and America’s 250th Anniversary
Eric Metaxas joins Newt to discuss America’s founding and the legacy of the Revolution.
Newt Gingrich talks with bestselling author Eric Metaxas about America’s founding, the faith of the Founders, and why the Revolution remains central to understanding the nation’s 250-year story.
In this episode of “Newt’s World,” Newt Gingrich welcomes bestselling author Eric Metaxas to discuss his new book, “Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World.” Their conversation explores America’s founding through the lens of faith, liberty, sacrifice, and the extraordinary generation that declared independence and built a new nation.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Newt and Eric examine why the American Revolution was unlike any other revolution in history. They discuss George Washington, John Adams, Samuel Adams, the Declaration of Independence, religious liberty, and the importance of remembering the ideas and principles that made America exceptional.
Listen to their conversation below, or scroll down for an edited transcript.
Edited Transcript
This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
Newt Gingrich
Welcome to “Newt’s World.” Eric Metaxas joins me to discuss America 250 and his new book, “Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World.” Eric is the bestselling author of Bonhoeffer, a Distinguished President’s Fellow at Cornerstone University, and was appointed to serve on President Trump’s commission on religious liberty.
Eric Metaxas
It is my privilege. I have admired you for decades, and I am grateful for everything you have done to help make it possible for people like me to live in this free country.
Newt Gingrich
Your background is fascinating. You have written about figures such as Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther, and you have studied moral turning points in history. What made this the right time to tell the story of America’s founding?
Eric Metaxas
I never expected to write a book on the American Revolution. A friend encouraged me to tell the whole story, and as I began researching, I realized every American needs to know these names and stories. This is not extra credit for history buffs. It is central to understanding our liberty.
As I researched, I was astonished by the depth of the Christian roots of the Revolution. We have been told a secular narrative about the founding, but everywhere you look, the Founders were looking to God. That is why I called the book Revolution rather than The American Revolution." There has only been one successful revolution in history.
Newt Gingrich
That title is fascinating because it takes on the idea that other revolutions were false revolutions.
Eric Metaxas
Absolutely. The French Revolution used similar language, but it rejected God and became a bloodbath. The Bolshevik and Chinese Communist revolutions also failed to deliver liberty. The American Revolution succeeded because the Founders explicitly looked to God and believed people could govern themselves under Him.
Newt Gingrich
You quote John Adams in June 1776 saying, “We are in the very midst of revolution the most complete, unexpected and remarkable of any in the history of the world.” The Founders saw themselves at a turning point in history.
Eric Metaxas
They did. This was not just a rebellion against a corrupt king. It was the creation of a new type of nation. The Founders believed rights came from God, and that people could govern themselves only if they recognized that moral foundation.
Newt Gingrich
How did these people, living on the edge of Western civilization, develop such a universal view of liberty?
Eric Metaxas
I believe God was speaking through them. John Adams, even in 1765, seemed to understand that something profound was unfolding. The British policies forced the colonies to unite and think about larger questions of liberty and self-government. It led to the creation of the only truly free nation in history.
Newt Gingrich
The French and Indian War created an interesting cycle. Britain won, removed the French threat from Canada, and then tried to tax the colonists to pay its debts just as the colonists felt less threatened.
Eric Metaxas
Exactly. The British elites did not understand the colonists. They looked down on their faith and prosecuted the war brutally. Washington and Adams refused to fight that way. They believed this was a sacred cause and that if they fought God’s way, they could trust Him with the result.
Newt Gingrich
If the Revolution is not about faith, it cannot really be about the American Revolution.
Eric Metaxas
That is right. To leave out the faith of the Founders is to distort history. Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Henry Knox, Nathan Hale, and so many others were explicitly shaped by Christian belief. Even Jefferson and Franklin, when asked to propose a seal for the new nation, drew on the story of Moses and the Israelites. This is our history.
Newt Gingrich
How did we drift into a belief system in our colleges and universities that ignores this?
Eric Metaxas
The secular narrative has been pushed for generations. It has shaped academia, culture, Hollywood, and the way history is taught. But the facts speak for themselves. We need to tell the truth about the founding and the source of our liberties.
Newt Gingrich
You cannot explain Washington without looking at his sense of faith. How do you explain him as the indispensable man?
Eric Metaxas
Washington is one of those figures in history where you can see God’s hand. If he had not existed, who could have done what he did? He had a deep sense of destiny and trusted God through enormous hardship. He did his duty and trusted God with the results.
Newt Gingrich
Washington’s survival in battle during the French and Indian War is remarkable. He had horses shot from under him and bullet holes in his coat, yet he survived. An Indian chief later told him they had tried to kill him and could not hit him.
Eric Metaxas
There is no doubt in my mind that God preserved him. We are privileged to live in the United States of America, and we need to know these stories. They are at the center of what it means to be American.
Newt Gingrich
As we approach the 250th anniversary, what do you want Americans to take away from the Revolution?
Eric Metaxas
This nation was God’s idea, and if you live here, you have been given a gift. Benjamin Rush said there is a revolution after the Revolution. We have to continue living this out. We must remember, tell the stories, and understand that America has been blessed so it can be a blessing to others.
Newt Gingrich
Your subtitle calls America “the greatest nation in the history of the world.” How would you make that case to skeptics?
Eric Metaxas
America is the greatest nation in history not because Americans are better than anyone else, but because God gave us a way to govern ourselves that had never been done before. It is our duty to understand it, preserve it, and share it.
Newt Gingrich
Eric, thank you for joining me. Your new book, “Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World,” is available now.
Eric Metaxas
Thank you so much.
About the Guest
Eric Metaxas is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and broadcaster known for his work on history, faith, and American culture. He has written numerous bestselling books, including Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther, If You Can Keep It, Seven Men, and Is Atheism Dead?. His works have been translated into more than 25 languages and have inspired documentary films and television projects.
Metaxas is the founder and host of Socrates in the City and The Eric Metaxas Show, where he conducts wide-ranging conversations with leading figures from politics, culture, business, and entertainment. He currently serves on President Trump’s Commission on Religious Liberty and is a Distinguished President’s Fellow at Cornerstone University. His latest book, Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World, explores the people, ideas, and faith that shaped America’s founding.
You can manage your subscription preferences to choose the updates, newsletters, and alerts you want to receive on the website.