David Barton

David Barton (b. 1954) is the single most influential propagandist in the Christian nationalist movement's campaign to rewrite American history as a Christian theocratic project. His central claim — that the Founding Fathers intended the United States to be explicitly governed by biblical law, that the separation of church and state is a modern distortion, and that the Constitution's moral framework derives from the Bible — is rejected by every mainstream historian of the founding era, but has been absorbed as fact by tens of millions of evangelical Americans through Barton's books, videos, radio appearances, and curricula. Barton founded WallBuilders in Aledo, Texas, in 1988 — a name drawn from the Book of Nehemiah, which describes the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. WallBuilders operates as a 'historical, constitutional, and constitutional issue organization' whose stated purpose is to 'present America's forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious, and constitutional heritage.' His most significant vehicle was 'The Jefferson Lies' (2012), which claimed that Thomas Jefferson was an orthodox Christian who supported state-sponsored religion. The book was pulled from publication by its evangelical publisher, Thomas Nelson, after its own fact-checkers and a consortium of Christian historians — including Southern Baptist scholars — documented its fabrications. Barton had been awarded a D.Litt. by Oral Roberts University (2011), a credential he used in public presentations to imply academic credentials he does not hold. He holds a B.A. in religious education from Oral Roberts, not a history degree of any kind. Despite — or because of — the collapse of his academic credibility, Barton's political influence expanded. He served as Republican National Committee vice chairman for Texas (1997–2006), worked as a consultant to the U.S. Army on religious issues, and was described by Time magazine in 2005 as one of 'The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America.' Glenn Beck called him 'the most important man in America.' Mike Huckabee said in 2011 that all Americans should be forced to listen to Barton 'at gunpoint.' Barton's single most consequential institutional impact was on the Texas State Board of Education. Working as a curriculum consultant, he influenced the 2010 revision of Texas social studies standards — which are disproportionately impactful because Texas's textbook purchasing power shapes what publishers print nationally. The 2010 standards inserted requirements that students evaluate the 'constitutional basis for separation of church and state' (inviting challenge to the concept), study the influence of Judeo-Christian values on the founders, and minimize the role of Thomas Jefferson (whom Barton disfavors for his deism). The standards affected approximately 4.8 million Texas schoolchildren and the content of textbooks used in districts far beyond Texas. Through WallBuilders' 'ProFamily Legislators Conference,' Barton trains state legislators in his revisionist constitutional theology annually. He is a member of the Council for National Policy. His reach into homeschool curricula — through publishers like Apologia, BJU Press adaptations, and direct WallBuilders materials — means his revisionist history has formed the founding-era understanding of millions of evangelical homeschool graduates who are now adults and voters.

Documented themes

• Christian Nationalism
• historical-revisionism
• education
• Anti-Democratic

Connections from David Barton

• founded → WallBuilders (1988) — David Barton founded WallBuilders in Aledo, Texas in 1988 and has led it continuously since, using it as the primary vehicle for distributing his revisionist Christian nationalist founding-era history through books, radio, curricula, and legislative training conferences.
• influenced → Council for National Policy (1995) — David Barton is a documented member of the Council for National Policy, connecting WallBuilders' historical revisionism to the broader coordination network of Religious Right financiers, strategists, and politicians who meet privately twice yearly.

Sources

• The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism — Katherine Stewart (2020), pp. 71–95
• Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right — Randall Balmer (2021), pp. 98–115
• The Jefferson Lies: Barton's Embarrassing Failure — Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter (2012), pp. 1–200
• David Barton's 'The Jefferson Lies' voted least credible history book in print — World Magazine (2012)
• Separation of Church and State: How the First Amendment Became a Tool for Radical Secularism — David Barton (2007), pp. 1–190