bible, geneva bible. we have the french bible which will be protestants who are seeking freedom from religious persecution in france. just as the puritans were seeking refuge from persecution in europe at the time. and also the very first bible printed in america that elliott indian bible it is a very rare bible that tells a dramatic story of puritans who came here to specifically reach the indigenous people. so not only are they presented with at that time the first -- but now no something you would be introduced. and this would be literacy. the development of their language and an opportunity to progress in educational perspective. and from that we came over -- a textbook that would be used for education. and although the museum presents a non sectarian story this is part of that story as well. in the very last thing that we have here is william penn. and when we are talking about that earlier the pennsylvania was literally established seeking refuge from religious persecution. but not from outside of e

bible. we are standing in what is called the impact floor. this is the impact of the bible on america, and impact the bible globally, but today, we are going to focus on the impact of the bible in america, and it is talked about a lot. we write legislation about the impact of the bible and separation of church and state, and many things have, you know, come from that. but today, we are going to look at some of the undergirding items, documents, manuscripts, printed books that was here and our founding fathers used to create what we call the government of the united states. and we are also with me is norm conrad. and he shgoing to lead us through that. one of the big tourist groups coming through the museum, and you think in the museum, what do they want to see especially overseas and the bible in north america is one of the key pieces they want to go visit, because they want to know how could that be, how could the bible be a basis for the government. we are one of the few nations in the wor

bible. with that we have seven floors open to the public. we have the vatican here involved with the vatican library, they have their own space. we have israel antiquiiy authority with their space and many, many items. we have many visiting exhibits that come in. if you say what can i expect next year, well, these three floors, impact, narrative and history, those items are somewhat stationary. they do rotate out but they're the core of what we do as a museum. other things we take on travel exhibit and curriculum, other things, we put them all under those three umbrellas. the bible is a big story and you can take it a thousand different roads outside of it. we're non-sectarian we're just telling the story of the bible to let it stand on its own two feet. the museum is unlike any, it's really unique unto itself. because we've taken a very highly thematic approach. so that not only are there great items here but we're finding people really have as much if not more so interest in the story surr

one of our basis for this floor, not just bible in america but bible globally is the bible is all around you and you don't even realize how much it affected our lives, things that we say, cliches that we use today. a leopard cannot change its spots. that's a biblical text. an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. biblical text. we share those on this particular floor. the liberty bell is a great one to look at because again it has, represents the bible in a very different way. and that's what we tried to show. >> the liberty bell was actually donated to the museum of the bible by dr. peter loback, president of westminster theological and president of providence forum as well. it was produced in recognition of the 300th anniversary of william penn great liberty of conscience. it made a trip around the united states, the bell was running in all 50 states in recognition of the liberty of conscience. and then sat in a warehouse a few years, not sure how long. we got a phone call asking if we would like to have this bell for the museum. what's interesting and cool about it, it was produced at th

they use the bible as we sometimes -- they use the bible as we sometimes use the bible today, first, to enrich a common language in cultural vocabulary through distinctively biblical allusions, phrases, figures of speech, proverbs, aphorisms and the like. let me give you a few simple examples. in counseling a patient rather than an intemperant approach, to the crisis confronting the colonies, john adams wrote to james warren in april of 1776, and i quote, "the management of so complicated and mighty a machine as the united colonies requires the meekness of moses, the patience of job, and the wisdom of solomon added to the valor of daniel." you have to know a little bit about your bible to appreciate what's being communicated. again, i think a fairly simple illustration of what i'm speaking here. but let me give you a slightly more substantive example. and here i turn to a very familiar biblical metaphor. we're all familiar with abraham lincoln's 1858 invocation of the biblical metaphor of a house divided. he's drawing here on the gospels matthew chapter 12 and mark chapter 3. this is

bible." and then, of course, abraham lincoln. but one of the highlighted -- well, this is a really cool case because not only does it have the original manuscript of julia ward howe of the battle hymn of republic but it actually has a bible that was presented and given to abraham lincoln by a group of african-americans from baltimore. and -- and an appreciation of his signing of the emancipation proclamation, they presented this bible to him. and this would have been a very, very expensive bible. the emancipation of proclamation, itself, is riddled with many biblical references, as well. so, really, really cool and dynamic case. kind of inserted here is what is known as the confederate states new testament. now, very similar to what happened when america declared their independence, the -- the english ceased to supply america with goods. the same thing happened from the north and the south. and so, what was established was the confederate states' bible society. and this is the first new testa

all the bibles the geneva bible, king james bible, the catholic bible came from europe or came from the crown, if you will. when we can declare our independence 1776, the import of products from london ceased, it was brought to the congress 's attention that we had a lack of english bibles. one of the colonial printers from the name of robert akin presented the idea to deduce an english test here in america. first, in 1777, he would produce an english new testament, which is the new testament for the king james bible. the crown still holding the right to this text. basically makes robert akin and outlaw, if you will. an outlaw predator. there are only two of the first english new testament printed in america in existence. once at the new york library. or you can go to the museum of the bible and see this one here. in 1782, robert akin would present an entire bible. in this bible, it was reviewed by the chapel -- and passed off of congress to congress itself, and reviewed. in which they gave robert akin permission to print this bible. this would be the first complete english bible ever p

so i do a little extensively with war and violence and the bible and how the bible has been part of our justifications for going to war and our protests against it. so i got interested in this a few years ago, just curious. and all of our projects begin with a certain kind of curiosity. curious about how the bible was included in the american revolution and being a computer geek i decided to design a database and pick out biblical text and sort them and i would have the answer. that may have been a mistake. it took me a few years to do this before i could write the book. so thought i will get the database together and write the book based on the database and that's what i did. that involved going to a lot of text, most of which are not in modern fonts let me tell you, or modern spelling. and going to each page and finding each bible verse and many times they site the verse and sometimes they don't. it involve immediate having to scan, and i grew up learning the bible a bit. in sunday school, we did the draw swords bible exercise. so general knowledge there. and i printed them out and sa

he knows his bible. john adams actually, when he countered pain, and had a conversation about this, drawing on real testament, and common sense. painted just kind of brush to the side, and said, i got that from milton. so, this is an argument though against how the bible was influential in various ways regardless of whether or not the people quoting it actually believed that the bible was the reveal or of gotten specific way. this is a quote from gordon would, one of the most eminent american -- how religious historians -- but american historians, specifically in the revolutionary era. this says, it was the clergy who made the revolution meaningful for most common people. because for every gentleman who read a scholarly pan flipped, and it -- exploration of events. there were dozens of ordinary people who read the bible, and looked to their ministers for an interpretation of what the revolution meant. so, the bible was part of the language, it was part of the symbolism, it was part of the narrative that

more or less when people read the bible, they read the bible. as it was. took it as it was. that's not to say that there weren't skeptics on the bible. certainly some of the founders and others and in the enlightenment era were skeptical about views of the bible. there was biblical skepticism. but in my -- from my study, i believe that biblical skepticism did in no way interfere with biblical patriotism. the same people that are rather skeptical about scripture as authoritative as all word of god, as completely true, also used scripture and understood scripture to make claims about patriotism, loyalty, sacrifice, morality. so regardless of any kind of skeptical -- skeptical views of scripture as revelation, scripture was still politically significant. so through the revolution then, colonists became american and so did the bible. one of the things that i find reading through especially into the 19th century, i mean, it really would have helped if i wrote the civil war book first then i would have understood the revolution better but then i had to write the revolution book to

at museum of the bible, our mission is to engage people with the bible. the bible has made a powerful impact on world history and cultures. it has influenced nations, laws, and political structures. it's guided debates, shaped political -- shaped pivotal events, and inspired views of prominent individuals, both past and present. the bible is hidden in plain sight in everyday life from common expressions that we all use to the music, the arts, and literature. and today, we'll explore a theme that expands on how the american colonies, as they moved toward revolution and the founding of our nation, our founders turned to the bible as a source of inspiration and justification for their political actions. we have three prominent scholars with us today. dr. thomas kidd. dr. daniel driesbeck, and dr. james bird who will talk with us about how the bible influenced the founding generation. our first session is the enigma of ben franklin's faith with thomas kidd. he tells us in his autobiography that he came a deist as a young man. yet, at the constitutional conven

so i think this is where the bible's history, as well as the history interpretation of the bible gives so much to us, in part, it gives us insight into the people that we're studying. i don't know how many times i would be reading, you know, because i knew a little bit about the bible, i would be reading a primary or a secondary source, a historian's take on something, and there were biblical references in the primary text that the historian doesn't recognize, and they're just thinking, while this is an interesting insight, well, you know, maybe it was just genesis you know, and so i think it gives us insight into the people that we're studying because it's so important, it was so much a part of their lives, and it gives us insight into just the scripture and how deep the texts can be and how multifaceted. >> it's very interesting. this question is addressed to all speakers so please reflect on religion and masonry and the founders, including franklin, george washington and other founders. >> yeah. >> yeah, i get asked this a lot. so ben franklin was a free mason, and a lot of the majo

but you know we were talking about the bible showing up and not knowing that it's the bible. after mitt, that happened to me a few times because it was so omnipresent that i would either just not notice or even though i try to read the bible every day as a believer, there are just things that were going on over my head. one of my favorite examples is a passage that franklin cited in his pen flip, plain truth, which was one of the first political pamphlets in american history. i think in the 17 fifties, it's about the pennsylvania militia and the quaker's opposing the militia. it's kind of -- one of the arguments that he makes is based on, get ready for this, the expedition of the day nights in judges 18. do you -- does any buddy remember this very well? i don't remember this very well. i would bring this up and remind myself about the expedition. but to him, and again without going into the details, it was the basic point was not being prepared and being deceived and some of these kind of themes. and he thought it was like pain and common sense he thought just like in pain an

you were talking about the bible showing up and not even knowing it's the bible. i have to admit it happened to me a few times with franklin because it was so omnipresent that i would either just not notice or -- even though i try to read the bible every day as a believer. there were just things that were going over my head. one of my favorite examples is a passage that franklin cited in his pamphlet, plain truth. which was one of the very first political pamphlets in american history. i think in the 1750s. and it's about the pennsylvania militia ask. the quakers are opposed to the militia. it is not important to get into the details but he is pushing for raising a pennsylvania militia. and one of the arguments that he makes is based on -- get ready for this -- the expedition the danites in judges 18. >> i saw that one. >> does anybody remember this very well? i didn't remember this very well. i had to bring this up and remind myself about the competition of the danites. but to him, again, without going into the details, it was -- the basic point was not being pre

but the ultimate is the bible. james madison's views on religious freedom were not the result of his reading of the bible. that's not the way things work. he was not a theologian. he wasn't a religious philosopher. nonetheless, it is evident he is adapting ideas developed by christian thinkers on the basis of the scriptures. in that sense, the bible had an influence on madison's conception of religious freedom. thank you very much. [ applause ] >> thank you, our last speaker, jacqueline rivers, she's the executive director and senior fellow for social sciences and policy at the seymour institute for black church and policy studies. she's also a non-resident fellow for the institutes of studies at baylor. recent projects have focused. on launch bioethics on launching the focus of marriage at the vatican. she holds a ph.d. from harvard university where she was a fellow and a graduate research fellow of the national science foundation. she's presented at many universities across the country. her latest publication app

but the ultimate source is the bible. james meadson's views on religious freedom were not the result of his reading of the bible. that's not the way things work. he was not a theologian. he won't a religious philosopher. nonetheless, it is evident he is adapting ideas developed by christian thinkers on the basis of the scriptures n. that sense, the bible had an influence on madison's conception of religious freedom. thank you very much. [ applause ] >> thank you, resident. our last speaker, dr. jacqueline rivers is currently a lecture at harvard insurance. at is see more institute for black church and policy studies. she is also a non-resident fellow at the ips institute for studies of religion at baylor. recent projects focused on launching the black church commission on bioethics, human life and marriage and an international symposium on marriage and the family hosted by the vatican. she holds a ph.d. from harvard where she was a doctoral fellow in equality and social policy at the kennedy school and a graduate research

the ultimate sars is the bible. james madison's views on religious freedoms were not the result of his reading of the bible. it is not the way things work. he was not a feel lagoon. he was not really just for your -- philosopher. nonetheless, it was at the, he is adapting ideas that was -- and that sense, the bible had an influence on madison's conception of religious freedom. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you, robert. our last speaker, doctor jacqueline rivers is a lecturer at harvard university. she is the executive director and senior fellow for social sciences in policy at the seymour institute for black church. and policy studies. she is also a nonresident fellow at the institute for studies of religion at baylor. recent projects have focused on launching the black work commission on bioethical -- marriage and the palace hosted by the vatican. she has a ph.d. from harvard university where she was a doctorate fellow in any quality and social polity at the candy school, and graduate research in nationa

bible actually came in so i have — the bible actually came in so i have adjusted _ the bible actually came in so i have adjusted the _ the bible actually came in so i have adjusted the seven - the bible actually came in so i have adjusted the seven day i have adjusted the seven day mark — have adjusted the seven day mark and _ have adjusted the seven day mark and hotel— have adjusted the seven day mark and hotel quarantine l have adjusted the seven day i mark and hotel quarantine back in australia _ mark and hotel quarantine back in australia and _ mark and hotel quarantine back in australia and seven - mark and hotel quarantine back in australia and seven more - in australia and seven more days— in australia and seven more days to _ in australia and seven more days to go _ in australia and seven more days to go— days to go. we all do those countdowns, _ days to go. we all do those countdowns, don't - days to go. we all do those countdowns, don't wait, i days to go. we all do those i countdowns, don't wait, seven days— countdowns, don't wait, seven days to — countdowns, do

yale was the conservative bible college. right? [laughs] so that we could have an alternative to harvard. almost all the colonial american colleges, the ivy league schools, most were founded in the colonial period, almost all founded as colleges for the training of pastors. almost nobody else went to college. no women went to college. almost no man went to college in those days. if you were a man who went to college, it was almost always the colonial period to become a pastor. okay? so what they saw as a rise in immorality, enlightenment thought, more modern philosophy and theology, than a third reason for the sense of crisis, the ongoing war with catholic france and spain. they are native american allies. starting in the 16 nineties. the colonies, especially new england go through a couple generations of imperial war between britain and the british colonies. then either france or spain, the new england, the main issue is fighting against the forces of france coming out of canada. or new france, what it was called new france. there

demons are in the bible. it's the mentality the 1600's the medieval city think that there are people who really do leave in these kinds of things or is it just a big sham? what do you think? >> i think there are some people who generally do believeve in it but i think people who are being accused of it at that point in time probably don't go into it like yeah i'm going to lie about this but when they are on the spot they don't want to get in trouble. tthey probably just end up pushing it onto someone else. >> i think we can verify that. there are cases where late in the trial people start enhancing their testimonies and the things they say i was put under so much pressure and some of them would say i imagine that things were happening to me but now that i think about it i'm not sure. some people definitely say they were put under so much psychological --s psychological duress that they admitted it and they knew they weren't really true and in there a couple of pages w where we know people wee tortured. in eng

we think of the southed today as the bible belt, correctly. but in the colonial period, it's different. in the colonial period, there is a kind of formal establishment at least of the church of england, but once you get out past the colonial cities, places like williamsburg, charleston and savannah, the rates of church going and commitment to the church of england is pretty limited. and part of the reason for that if you remember going back to the founding of jamestown these colonies are mostly being founded for business. and it's a little difficult to set up churches in the back country where settlement is so scattered. and so people living in the rural south in the early 1700s, i mean, they might have been christians, for sure. i'm sure most of them would have considered themselves christians. if they were literate, they probably read the bible. maybe they had family devotions. but many, many of them did not go to church because maybe the nearest church was 50 miles away. if that's the case, you're going on a wagon, you're not going to go to

version of the bible became the core of the king james bible so this forbidden document became mainstream. [laughter] >> bestseller. >> also still part of the court bible. >> there is a boomerang effect, and sometimes i think we don't know the full story. i'm thinking of rushdie here if you ask most people they say yes, i remember he wrote a book that offended islamic who put up, kill him ecm and he had to go into hiding in england and that looks bad but he was up here in the mountains where i live not long ago having dinner, a year ago and i saw him near m. [laughter] he looks as though rushdie came out just fine, he still writing and all of that but isn't there a lingering effect of something like that? a kind of censorship underneath that people start watching themselves whether they are going to publish them? is there a lingering effect censorship like that has on an author or reading public? >> it certainly does and there is an accumulative effect in a step-by-step process. there's a writer to give a shout out to england who's spent a lot of time on this and he was using a wonderful

i had a wild night and the next morning my bible wasig so i just started reading the bible and it just clicked. >> host: in an article when you are with the utah jazz this is what most players have headphones on inaz music playing to get into the spirit of the game you have a book opened. >> yeah. i would usually try to bring a book with me toal the game or if i'm going somewhere by myself it just helps me clear my mind of what's about to take ways in the game. i r. denote the game plan so it just helps to get those butterflies away before the game. >> host: what kind of looks you gravitate towards? >> guest: me personally i am historical. i loved to read about the history of the world and the book club is mostly thrillers and a lot of memoirs. >> host: give us an example. >> guest: we did barack obama, the promised land and that was a great memorial." we didat have the witch was another favorite look of all times to the book club enjoyed those two reads. >> host: this is a quote, people don't realize how will whole life can change buy one book. is that something that is appealed to yo

my bible was next to me from the previous night. i started reading the bible and all of it just clicked and i haven't looked back since then. >> so in an article when you were with the utah jazz you said while most have headphones on and music playing to kind of get into the spirit of the game, you have a book open? >> guest: i change it up. i usually try to bring a book with me to the game or out in public if i'm going somewhere by myself and i don't have a lot of time. it just helps me to clear my mind of what is about to take place in the game. just something to get those butterflies away from me right before the game. >> host: what kind of books do you gravitate towards? >> guest: personally, i'm more historical. i like to read about the history of the world. but the book club mostly delivers and lately a lot of memoirs. >> host: give us an example of one. >> guest: needed barack obama, "the promise land," that came with great stories. another of my favorite books of all times. the bookclub really enjoyed those two reads. >> hos

. >> for the earliest periods, our major source of information is the hebrew bible. the old testament. >> some of the stories that we have in the bible have been proven by archaeological means. others are stories that we have to take the narrative, depending on how you believe in your faith tradition. >> i think, what we have to remember is that the religious assertions are what made jerusalem what it is. for centuries, people who lived in and around jerusalem accepted that as a truth. so when we are reading the biblical stories, yes, we are reading the history of jerusalem. >> and the story of the holy city begins around 1,000 b.c. in the land of canon. >> the major kingdoms were the egyptian kingdom to the south. this land in between, that was just a battlefield that the big boys came to duke it out on. >> it's the land that the israelites believed that god gave to them as the land that they were to inherit. the problem is, is that there were, already, people in canaan. the canaanites. according to the bible, god commands the israelites to kill every man, woman, an

of the bible became the core of the king james bible so this ultra forbidden document became mainstream and now fasting for five or six session. >> there is a boomerang of an sometimes i think we don't know the full story. i think if you ask most people say i remember he y wrote aboutn offended islamic who put out one on him which is kill him if you see him and he had to go into hiding and england and it looked bad and now he was appear where i live and i saw him near me and my first thought should i move? it looks as though it came out just fine, he still writing and all that is there a lingering effect of something like that? a censorship underneath that people start watching themselves whether they publish him, is there a lingering effect censorship like that has on offer for reading public? >> it certainly does there is a cumulative effect of it, a step-by-step process. as a writer i want to give a shout out to in england please check a lot of time on it and he used a wonderful phrase, which i wish i could find out we've internalized thoughts, a book called satanic versus, it was of

bible became the court the king james bible so this altar for bitten document is now a bestseller. also it's part of the core bible >> yours is the meringue effect and sometimes sometimes they said we don't know the full story. i'm thinking of someone rushdie here and if you ask most person they'd say yes i remember he wrote a book that offended -- to put out a fatwa on him which was kill him if you see him and he had to go into hiding and that looks bad but now salman rushdie was up here where i live a while ago having dinner and i saw him near me in the first thought was fatwa and i moved, no. selman rushdie came out and he still writing and all of that but isn't there a kind of lingering effect of something like that a kind of censorship that's late and then underneath it people are still washing -- watching and is there a lingering effect of censorship like that that it has on author? >> it certainly does and it has the cumulative effect and a step-by-step process. i want to give a shadow to keenan who spend a lot of time on this and he used a wonderful phrase which i wish i co

then i think i was in miami and i had a wild night and next morning my bible was next to me and i was feeling guilty from the previous night so i started reading the bible and it started and it just clicked and i haven't looked back since then. >> so in an article when you are with the utah jazz, while most players have headphones on and have music playing to get into the spirit of the game, you have a book open. >> yes. i would usually try t to bring a book with me on in public going by myself. it just helps me clear my mind of what's about to take place in the game. i already know the game plan and get those butterflies right before the game. >> what kind of book do you gravitate toward? >> me personally, i am a historical, i love to read about the history of the world. the book club, mostly thrillers and lately a lot of memoirs. >> give us an example of who. >> barack obama the promised land and that came with a couple of stories. that was a great memoir. we did heavy which was another one of my favorite of all times. i really enjoyed those. >> this is a quote, people don't realize

of the history of the bible. be sure to download this free resource online by visiting ltw.org today.

tyndall's version of the bible became the core of the kingis james bible so this altar for bitten document became mainstream. >> of bestseller. >> a bestseller in it still part of the corey bible. >> e. theirs is boomerang effect and sometimes, sometimes i think we don't know the full story. i'm thinking of salman rushdie here and i think you'd ask most people they'd say yes i remember he wrote a book that offended -- and they put a fatwa out on him and he had to go into hiding in england and that looks bad but now solomon rushdie, he was up here in the mountains where i live not long ago having dinner and i saw him near me and my first thought was fought the law, should i move? [laughter] but to most people it looks as though salman rushdie came out just fine. he still writing and all that. but isn't there a kind of lingering effect or something like that? a kind of censorship that's late and that's underneath the people start watching themselves whether they are going to publish him? is there a lingering effect of censorship like that that it has on an author or the reading public? >> it

read the bible. americans do read the bible and even someone as late as jackson, i have good words to say about jackson on some things, he believes in an indivisible unit lincoln stand on jackson shoulders resisting the anti- jackson is self-taught, how? he goes to church every sunday listens to people preach in the pulpit from the gospel, from the bible so up bible reading, bible discussing culture, very famously some of my jonathan edwards whose grandson will be named aaron, publishers who summons and puts them in the hands of an angry god so even in the 60s, remarkable literacy rates among whites. by 1790, america has more newspapers newspaper readers than any country in the world including britain. certain technological departments are going to facilitate that so when you get the erie canal, you can now quote all the way around america just like you can go all the way around britain, you can go chicago across the great lakes to buffalo and across the erie canal and all around florida coast all th

and there was this old bible for sale and he had bought it for a couple of bucks. and he brought it back to st. louis and then he was reading my book about the essex and captain palmer and he said, he looked back and he said wait, whose name inside the bible. in the open it up and it was this bible. george and so he said, you know, should i have this. do you think that it should be somewhere else they said well you know that i think that the folks of the intricate historical association would love to have it. and sure enough, this wonderful gentleman, he was in the mail by that week and at that point, there was an essex exhibit and within a week, the family bible was on exhibit at that exhibit. it's over me, this was like the power of history to support the bubble up. and once the book came out, i get a card from the family pittsburgh and i grew up in pittsburgh. and they were descendents and on the essex read and they said that they had the tradition in the family. when he came to grandpa ramsdell and whatever he got her whenever it was time for dinner, they all s

it is a bible reading, bible discussing culture. very famously someone like jonathan edwards publishes at the hands of an angry god. even 1760 remarkable literacy rates. by 1790, america has more newspapers and newspaper readers per capita than any country in the world including britain. and certain technological development's are going to facilitate that. when you get for example the erie canal you can actually now go all the way around america. just like you can go all the way around britain. you can go from chicago, across the great lakes to buffalo, cross the erie canal to albany to hudson, new york, all around the florida coast all the way over too new orleans, up the mississippi to chicago. letters can travel faster. ships can travel faster. eventually it will get railroads by the end of the time. 1840 for it is remarkable letter writing who is franklin? he is a postmaster. they are newspaper guys. five of them are newspaper scribblers. george washington reads more newspapers and anyone around. there also letter writers. the n

henry viii grew up in the church and his version of the bible became the core of the king james bible. an ultra forbidden document became mainstream and it's still part of the bible. >> there is a boomerang effect that sometimes i think we don't know the full story. i'm thinking of salman rushdie. i think if you ask most people they say i remember he wrote a book that offended islamic mullahs who put out a kill on him and he had to go into hiding in england and that looked bad. but now he was up here in the mountains where i live not long ago having dinner a year ago and i saw him near me and my first thought was should i move. [laughter] but to most people it looks as if salman rushdie came out just fine. isn't there a kind of lingering affect of something like that, a kind of censorship that's underneath that people start watching themselves and whether they are going to publish more? is there a lingering effect that censorship likeip that has on an author? >> it certainly does and there's an accumulated effect sort of a step-by-step process. there is a writer that i want to give a

provided a late with the bible between them. returning from one of his villages he and his young wife pregnant and gauge an adulterous relationship with her father's approval. he immediately sued for divorce claiming ebenezer warren had conspired to seduce his wife. the rhode island courts granted his request finds affinity and sent word to jail. several months later he moves with his daughter and her new spiritual husband in 1751 back to the town where he spread his a wicked ins sain tenants among the solomon finney's extended family and neighbors. between 1751 and 1764, isaac bacchus provided a series of bitter church councils in which the separate churches excommunicated several of ebenezer's words followers who testified they'd not got there white right wives at taking up other women. the radicals maintained the union between two persons when they were married together is a spiritual union. they denied the authority of civil magistrates to establish marriage contracts and follows the lead into a state of perfection in this w

so it is a bible reading, bible discussing coulter, very famously somebody writes about the. publishing this, in the hands of an angry god, you know, so they are talking about this and by 1790 america has more newspapers and newspaper readers per capita than any country in the world including britain. and certain technological developments will facilitate that and so when you get the eerie canal, you can actually now go all the way around america just how you can go all the way around britain, chicago to buffalo, albany, down to new york and the florida coast and over to new orleans and then up in mississippi to chicago, so ships can travel faster and eventually you're going to get it is by the end of the timeframe of 1840, it is still remarkable letter writing and franklin is a postmaster and so of all of these guys, five of them are newspaper scribbler's and george washington reads more newspapers than anyone around and they are also letterwriters and the audience can read these in the national archives, word searchable to and from every major founder it's a remarkably lite

preach from the gospel, from the bible. so it's a bible reading, bible discussing culture. very famously, you know, someone like jonathan edwards, grandson is aaron burr, publishing the sermon in the hands of an angry god, and even in then a rate of reading among whites. and then there were more readers per capita than any other country, including britain. and certain technological developments will facilitate that. when you get, for example, the erie canal, you can actually now go all the way around america, just like you can go around britain, you can go from chicago, across the great lakes to buffalo and then across the erie canal, albany, the hudson to new york, the florida coast, new orleans, up the mississippi to chicago. so letters can travel faster. ships can travel faster, eventually, of course, you're going to get railroads by the end of my time period. 1840. it's a remarkable letter writing and who is franklin? he's a postmaster. okay? all of these guys are newspaper guys and so five of them are newspaper scribblers and the sixth, george washington, reads more ne

his illegal bible was so brilliant that times changed very very soon, and tyndale's version of the bible became the core of the king james bible, so this ultra forbidden document became mainstream -- >> best seller today. >> and lasting for five or six centuries because it is still part of the core bible. >> yeah. so there is this boomerang effect, and sometimes -- sometimes i think we don't know the full story. i'm thinking of rushti. people will say he wrote a book that offended islamic mullahs that put out a kill if you see him, and he had to go into hiding in england, and that looked bad. salman rushti was up in the mountains where i live not long ago having dinner. at first i thought oh, should i move? but no anyway. [laughter] >> it looks as though salman rushti came out just fine. he's still writing and all of that. but isn't there a kind of lingering effect of something like that? there's a kind of censorship that people kind of watch themselves, on whether they are going to publish him? is there a lingering effect that censorship has on an author? >> it certainly does. there's a