“It’s the attempt to create a usable past — a past that fits your ideology in the present,” said Throckmorton. He and his co-author argue in the second edition of their book, published last month, that Christian nationalists want to reinterpret Jefferson to suit their own goals.
The book is needed, he said, because of Barton’s ongoing influence, built on what Throckmorton called bad facts and a faulty narrative.
Barton did not respond to a request for comment.
Robert Tracy McKenzie, professor of history at Wheaton College and author of “We the Fallen People: The Founders and the Future of American Democracy,” said Barton has used the criticism against him to his advantage.
McKenzie said Barton is telling two stories at once — one about America’s past, the other about America in the present. In that second story, Barton accuses academics of distorting the religious nature of America’s past and paints himself as a hero for rediscovering it.
“For at least some evangelicals, then, the more the Academy challenges Barton, the more they rally around him,” McKenzie said in an email. “It strengthens rather than weakens his brand.”
Messiah College historian John Fea, who endorsed the new edition of “Getting Jefferson Right,” said Throckmorton has done important work in pointing out Barton’s factual errors. He also said that along with getting facts wrong, Barton lacks a historian’s perspective when interpreting America’s founding — acting as if nothing has changed between 1776 and 2023.
“He has no ability to think about the relationship between the past and the present in responsible ways,” said Fea.
Fea also said that Barton is a marketing genius — using the criticism against him to build his brand and using his connections to corner the home-schooling market, where his ideas are often embraced by parents.
The fight over Jefferson also reflects the larger culture war that has raged in the United States for decades — a war in which retelling America’s founding plays a key role.
“The entire culture war in the United States is based upon getting the Founders on your side, and Barton is able to do that,” he said.
Along with the new book, Throckmorton is working on a podcast recounting the downfall of “The Jefferson Lies.” Both projects were driven in part by his concerns about the rise of Christian nationalism.
