The Christian Past That Wasn't: Formerly Telling Jefferson Lies
Season Three which began April 28 is now complete. I renamed the podcast The Christian Past That Wasn't to be consistent with my book from Broadleaf Books, The Christian Past That Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History. This is so much more than a fact-checking book; it critiques the entire Christian nationalist project and misuse of history for political gain. Consistent with the first two seasons of this podcast, The Christian Past That Wasn't demonstrates that separation of church and state was the intention of the framers of the charter documents. We would be so much better off if we stayed true to separation of church and state in the US.
Podcast summary:
Season one of Telling Jefferson Lies chronicles how history can be hijacked for ideological and political purposes, as well as a much broader story about the surge of Christian nationalism and the misuse of history which often goes along with it. The series begins in season one with an in-depth consideration of the methods of Christian nationalist story teller David Barton. Then I tell the story of how his book on Jefferson was pulled from publication in 2012 by publisher Thomas Nelson, followed by the response of evangelicals to that rare event. From there, I broaden the scope to examine the varieties of Christian nationalism and the negative consequences of this way of thinking about church and state. The last segment examines the reasons why the separation of church and state is good history, good civics, and good religion.
Season two consists of interviews with experts on Christian nationalism and the effects of religious liberty on church and state.
For more information on books about these topics, go to http://www.gettingjeffersonright.com and http://www.christianpast.com.
The Christian Past That Wasn't: Formerly Telling Jefferson Lies
Live at Nooks Gallery & Book Shop with Scott Coley, July 30, 2026 - Bonus Episode
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On July 30, 2026, philosopher Scott Coley interviewed me at a book event at Nooks Gallery & Book Shop in Lancaster, PA. The crowd was positive and supportive of The Christian Past That Wasn't and separation of church and state as a principle.
Scott covered several of the book's myths and allowed me to expand on the reasons why people are attracted to Christian nationalist stories. We covered just a few of the stories and concluded with a reading about a white man's history.
If you have read the book and enjoyed it, this will be a great supplement to that experience.
Written and produced by Warren Throckmorton
Hosted by Shawn Smucker at Nooks Gallery & Books Shop, 112 N. Prince St. Lancaster, PA.
Scott Coley's episodes in Telling Jefferson Lies: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2286752/episodes/15194310-ministers-of-propaganda-bonus-episode-with-scott-coley
https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2286752/episodes/14874848-consequences-of-christian-nationalism
Music by Roman Candle, Jonas Fair, and Netop