Epilogue

Abstract

The Revolution may be the most important event in American history, and the Bible was arguably its most influential book. The patriots fought the Revolutionary War in a society in which the Bible was the most read and respected book in the colonies. Through the American Revolution, many British colonists became patriotically American—and so did their Bible. This American patriot’s Bible drew from a diverse assemblage of biblical texts. It was a republican Bible, filled with self-sacrificing soldiers and political leaders. Above all, it was a militant Bible; its primary purpose was to forge militant patriotism. In the American Revolution, when it came to making the case for war and ushering citizens to the battlefield, the Bible was a persuasive ally. This biblical patriotism would cascade throughout American history as the United States came to define itself and its destiny largely though the justice and sacredness of its wars.