Unscrolled | Episode 43: Faith, Freedom, and the Founding Mothers with Catherine Brekus

Episode description:  Join us as Harvard Divinity School historian Dr. Catherine Brekus joins host Matthias Walther to explore the American Revolution through the lives of ordinary people, especially the women whose faith and sacrifice helped make it possible.  This episode will take us from just how the Bible saturated everyday life in 1776 and how Christianity and Enlightenment ideas came together to fuel the push for a republic, to the introduction of three "founding mothers" who read their revolutionary activism through Scripture, and the contradictions of the founding. plus, the "Christian nation" debate, and what the Bible offers today.   Guest bio:  Catherine A. Brekus, PhD, is a Professor of History of Religion in America at Harvard Divinity School.  Show Notes:  museumofthebible.org/events/250thspeakers-brekus hds.harvard.edu/people/catherine-brekus “Strangers and Pilgrims: Female Preaching in America, 1740-1845” “Sarah Osborn’s World: The Rise of Evangelicalism in Early America” “The Religious History of American Women: Reimagining the past”  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

This week, we’re featuring a special recap episode highlighting some of our most memorable conversations. Andy Steiger and Wes Huff of Apologetics Canada discuss why many people, especially younger generations, are becoming increasingly open to spirituality as they search for deeper answers about meaning, purpose, and human value. They explore how the Bible provides both a historical foundation and a framework for understanding ethics, identity, and truth.  Next, host Matthias sits down with Dr. Bobby Duke, chief curatorial officer of Museum of the Bible, to examine the significance of the Megiddo Mosaic, an archaeological discovery from one of the earliest known Christian worship spaces. Together, they unpack what this remarkable find reveals about the beliefs, practices, and community life of some of Christianity’s earliest followers. Finally, Pastors Tim Timberlake and Philip Anthony Mitchell of the Street Preachers podcast share their perspective on a growing global revival movement, arguing that genuine spiritual renewal is being fueled not by church-growth strategies or personalities, but by prayer, biblical proclamation, authentic worship, and discipleship.  Show Notes:  Unscrolled, Episode 4: Can I Trust the Bible? A Deep Dive into Apologetics with Andy Steiger and Wesley Huff Unscrolled, Episode 5: What the Megiddo Mosaic Teaches Us About the Early Church with Dr. Bobby Duke Unscrolled, Episode 22: Revival in the Streets with Pastors Tim Timberlake and Philip Mitchell  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

Can you guess the most-cited book in America's founding-era politics? Hint: it wasn’t Montesquieu. It was Deuteronomy. Historian Daniel Dreisbach joins Unscrolled to reveal just how deeply the Bible shaped the Constitution, from checks and balances to due process and the treason clause. Listen in for a conversation that will challenge what you thought you knew about America’s founding… and maybe even reframe how we think about the roots of self-government.  Guest bio:  Dr. Daniel Dreisbach, author and Professor of Justice, Law and Criminology at American University  Show Notes:  American University Professor of Justice, Law, Criminology & Security Dr. Daniel Dreisbach's X Books - “Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers,” “Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation Between Church and State”  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we work, create, communicate, and understand the world. But as AI becomes increasingly powerful, it also raises deeper questions: What makes us uniquely human? And how can faith, wisdom, and discernment guide us into an AI-shaped future?  Join us for this episode of Unscrolled with Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer at Virtuous Software and a leading voice on the intersection of AI and generosity, to explore the possibilities and challenges of artificial intelligence through a human and biblical lens.  Guest bio:  Nathan Chappell is the chief AI officer at Virtuous Software, an AI inventor, best-selling author, consultant, and public speaker on the intersection of AI and generosity.  Show Notes:  NathanChappell.com NathanChappell.com/books May 2025 — “Nonprofit AI: A Comprehensive Guide to Implementing Artificial Intelligence for Social Good” November 2022 — “The Generosity Crisis: The Case for Radical Connection to Solve Humanity's Greatest Challenges” linkedin.com/in/nathanchappell linkedin.com/pulse/sorry-i-made-you-cry-nathan-chappell   Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

Episode description: Actress, entrepreneur, and game show host Brooke Burns joins Unscrolled to talk about the moments that shaped her faith — a childhood mission trip to Romania, a life-altering diving accident, divorce, and now raising her youngest daughter with intention through small actions with a big impact like her "Daily Devo” videos on Instagram. This candid conversation explores tough moments, gratitude, faith, and finding purpose beyond the spotlight.  Guest bio:  Brooke Burns is an American actress, model, game show host, television personality, and mom.   Show Notes:  Instagram.com/brookeburns22 YouTube.com/@BrookeBurns22 IMDb Page Company - theheartanddoveco.com  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

Where did America get the idea that "all men are created equal"? Princeton's Dr. Robert George traces it back further than Aristotle or Cicero, all the way to Genesis 1. Come along as we explore what this may mean for how we understand faith, truth, and the American founding today.  Guest bio:  Dr. Robert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.  Show Notes:  museumoftheBible.org/america-250 RobertpGeorge.com rgeorge.scholar.princeton.edu x.com/McCormickProf Books by Robert George, PhD (Amazon)  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

Was the Bible really behind the Declaration of Independence? Historian Dr. Thomas Kidd, Research Professor of Church History and the John and Sharon Yeats Endowed Chair of Baptist Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, joins Unscrolled. Tune in to explore how the Bible may have quietly shaped the American Revolution, not through open declarations of faith, but through language, allusion, and assumptions baked into everyday life.  Guest bio:  Dr. Thomas Kidd, Research Professor of Church History at Midwestern Baptist Theological, author, speaker  Show Notes:  mbts.edu/profile/thomas-s-kidd Books Authored by Dr. Thomas Kidd museumoftheBible.org/america-250  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

Join us for this episode of Unscrolled with Justin Giboney — author, attorney, civic leader, and founder of the AND Campaign — to explore what the gospel has to say about justice, moral order, and why Christians don't have to choose between the two. In this conversation, Justin shares what it means to engage politics with biblical grounding, courage, and a witness that points people to Christ rather than to a party — drawing from his new book, “Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around,” and the civil rights generation as a model for today.  Guest bio:  Justin Giboney is an attorney, civic leader, based, speaker, and author.   Show Notes:   Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

What's the difference between banana soup and banana pudding? According to Allie Beth Stuckey, it's the same difference between being right and being righteous in how you communicate, and it might be the most important thing many people get wrong today.  Allie Beth is the host of the “Relatable” podcast and author of “You're Not Enough” and New York Times bestseller “Toxic Empathy.” In this conversation, she opens up about her upbringing and how faith and politics converged in her work. She shares what she actually believes about truth, womanhood, and what the Bible says about the chaos of modern culture. Join in for a great conversation. Guest bio:  Allie Beth Stuckey, author, podcaster, and speaker  Show Notes:  alliebethstuckey.com Apple Podcasts: Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey Amazon: “You're Not Enough (And That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love” Amazon: “Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion”  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible 

Most people would panic . . . but Butch Wilmore did a backflip. NASA astronaut and retired Navy captain Barry “Butch” Wilmore spent 286 unplanned days aboard the International Space Station after the Boeing Starliner lost thruster control on approach.   Tune in as Capt. Wilmore opens up about the moment he knew he wasn't coming home, missing family milestones 250 miles up, and the Scripture that carried him through it all with contentment. From a small town in Tennessee to the left seat of only the sixth first flight of a crewed spacecraft in NASA history, this is a story about determination, faith, and what it looks like to trust God at 17,500 miles per hour.  Guest bio:  Barry “Butch” Wilmore, US Navy Captain (Ret.), NASA astronaut, and author  Show Notes:  "Stuck in Space: An Astronaut's Hope Through the Unexpected" NASA Biography  Stay up to date with Museum of the Bible on social media:  Instagram: @museumofBible  X: @museumofBible  Facebook: museumofBible  LinkedIn: museumofBible  YouTube: @museumoftheBible