Declaring Independence

As our nation approaches another birthday, more than ever it may be helpful to review some of the key idea-sources for the American Revolution. Rather than the oft-suggested idea basins being located purely in secular Lockeanism or primarily in materialistic greed, the heartbeat of American independence may actually pulsate more from a theology of dependence—dependence on the Sovereign God who rules by Providence. For this year’s birthday party, perhaps some honesty can be recaptured in this brief exploration of the spe-cific religious seeds that had been blossoming for decades in the American colonies.