I’m a committed bibliophile. Since childhood, my two favorite genres are mythology and history. I think that’s why my LEAST favorite writings are those that confuse the two.

True stories don’t need dressing up – in fact they are often wilder and more inspirational than anything an author could attain in fiction. Knowing real people took dangerous risks (and either failed or succeeded) has encouraged me to be brave at innumerable times in my life.

I think that’s why so much of the Bible includes documenting the lives of real people.

The stories are powerful because they are about actual humans who one moment act in strength and the next give into weakness. King David is a perfect example. He trusted God so much the young man went out to face the seasoned warrior Goliath. His bravery saved his country and made him a hero. David also refused to address the rape of his daughter, eventually resulting in the death of two of his sons. Almost every human included in the Bible has both good and bad written about their deeds. The Bible reveals that people are a complicated mixture of good and bad and it is up to each to determine how they will behave.

Unfortunately, too many historians don’t use the Biblical model of truth-telling. They pick a subject, decide who the heroes and villains are, and then write through that lens. It leads to weak, inaccurate narratives that misrepresent our past and stop us from learning important lessons we need to strive for a better future.

That’s why the work of Dr. Warren Throckmorton is so important. I first heard of him from my daughter Mady while she was a Psychology Major at Grove City College. He played a pivotal role in helping her become the accomplished School Psychologist she is today and hundreds of families have been helped as a result.

As important as his work in psychology is, Dr. Throckmorton is more widely known for his efforts in uncovering Truth about our nation’s founding. Through detailed research of primary documents, he’s about to publish his second book on the subject, The Christian Past that Wasn’t: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths that Hijack History. It comes out on May 19, but I have the privilege of reading an advance copy. If you care about American history, you’ll want to order this book.

I don’t think it could have been published at a more appropriate time. Propagandists of all perspectives are working to reshape our history so they can shape our future. People have made entire careers out of manipulating our history into mythology instead of truth-telling. Artificial Intelligence has made the situation worse by pulling information from false narratives because it has no ability to fact-check.

Dr. Throckmorton has provided a way for us to study what our Founding Fathers actually did and did not do. He covers the good, the bad, the inspiring and the unspeakable. For example, in the book’s Introduction we learn from the 1787 Records of the Federal Convention that Ben Franklin encouraged the delegates to stop arguing and pray for wisdom as they formed their new nation.

This struck such a chord with me! For the first three years I served on Brooksville City Council, I was tasked with opening each meeting in prayer. I would privately pray over the agenda before the meetings and determine what character quality of God to pray over the assembly. I didn’t know this about Franklin and was delighted to hear it.

And here’ s where many writers would stop. But the story presented this way would be misleading because the same records that show Franklin asked the delegates to pray also show they declined to do so. Throckmorton uses original documents to reveal a more truthful story.

When I was first elected to Brooksville City Council, I began a deep dive into learning local history because I believed I needed to know how Brooksville was formed and led in order to determine where we should go. At times it’s led to uncomfortable truths, but once past failures were known, they could be addressed and redeemed. Similarly, past victories that had been forgotten could be re-emphasized and celebrated. Because Brooksville was (and still is!) full of complicated humans who made good and bad choices that continue to impact us today.

Similarly, clearing up the myths surrounding our nation’s founding will help us determine who we want to be in this generation. Truth is a powerful tool, available to anyone willing to study it. Our history doesn’t need to be dressed up, neither do we need to shrink from it. It is filled with complicated people and stories that are best served by looking at them as honestly as we are able.