The Fall, the Founding, and the Future of American Democracy

The Fall, the Founding, and the Future of American DemocracyWhat did America’s founders believe about human nature? How might a deeper understanding of their perspective shape the way we think about current and future challenges to our democracy?On this podcast episode, historian and author Dr. Tracy McKenzie helps us take a closer look at the founder’s view of human nature, what the abandonment of this view implies, and the tension of fallen human beings entrusted with self-governance:We are storytelling creatures and the stories that we tell one another, the stories that relentlessly we hear in the public square are stories that tell us that liberty and justice and human dignity can all be upheld by leaving our hearts untouched. That's not the message of the gospel.  - Tracy McKenzieThis is podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in 2022. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Dr. Tracy McKenzie.We hope this conversation on America’s history helps you see the present with fresh insight as together we consider how Christians and the Church can play a positive role in the public and political life of our country.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us About a Loving God and Learning from History, by Dr. Tracy McKenzieA Little Book for New Historians: Why and How to Study History, by Dr. Tracy McKenzieWe the Fallen People: the Founders and the Future of American Democracy, by Dr. Tracy McKenzieDemocracy in America, by Alexis de TocquevilleRelated Trinity Forum Readings:The Federalist PapersDemocracy in America, by Alexis de TocquevillePolitics, Morality, and Civility, by Vaclav HavelChildren of Light, Children of Darkness, by Reinhold NiebuhrRelated Conversations:A New Year With The Word with Malcolm GuiteMusic, Creativity & Justice with Ruth Naomi FloydPursuing Humility with Richard Foster and Brenda QuinnReading as a Spiritual Practice with Jessica Hooten WilsonWalking as a Spiritual Practice with Mark BuchananMaking as a Spiritual Practice with Makoto FujimuraConnecting Spiritual Formation & Public Life with Michael WearThe Kingdom, the Power & The Glory with Tim AlbertaA Life Worth Living with Miroslav VolfTowards a Better Christian PoliticsChristian Pluralism: Living Faithfully in a World of DifferenceWhat Really Matters with Charlie Peacock and Andi AshworthScripture and the Public SquareHow to be a Patriotic ChristianLife, Death, Poetry & Peace with Philip YanceyTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietySpecial thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.