Cornerstone University Traces Biblical Roots of America’s Founding
Cornerstone University welcomed Dr. John G. West for a special America at 250 Community Chapel on campus. West serves as Vice President and Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute and Cornerstone’s Distinguished Scholar of American Government and Christian Civic Engagement.
Students, faculty, and staff traced key Biblical roots that influenced America’s founding — principles that remain deeply relevant to their future, according to Dr. West. West leads the university’s exploration of the American experience within The Cornerstone Core™, a groundbreaking new general education curriculum integrating Christian worldview and faithful responsibility in the marketplace and public life.
West began by noting how unusual the American founding was throughout history.
“The American Revolution did not lead to a bloodbath. It did not lead to the destruction of churches. It did not end up by installing a dictator or imposing terror on its citizens.”
West pointed students to the 55 words of the Declaration of Independence that summarize the unparalleled founding vision.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
These words, he explained, grounded human rights and limited government in the belief that all people are created by God and possess inherent dignity.
The Founders’ View of Equality: Seven Realities of Human Nature
According to West, the founders’ beliefs about human equality rested on several shared realities reflecting Biblical truth: that the same God creates all people, who possess reason and moral conscience, seek God and ultimate meaning, and consist of both body and soul.
They also recognized humanity’s shared tendency toward sin and corruption, which is why the founders believed government must be limited.
West pointed to James Madison’s well-known observation about human nature and the need for government:
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”
Because human beings are neither perfect nor incapable of reason, the founders believed political power should be limited and accountable to the people.
West also noted that many Americans today question principles once widely accepted. According to a survey he cited, only 38 percent of Americans believe rights come from God, showing how much views on the source of human rights have changed.
Science, Human Exceptionalism and Courage
West also argued that scientific discoveries increasingly point back to Biblical truths recognized by the founders. Evidence that the universe had a beginning, that the laws of physics are finely tuned for life, and that DNA functions like a form of code all point toward design rather than accident.
Science also reinforces human exceptionalism — humans uniquely possess speech and language, moral reflection, and the ability to deliberate and choose.
West encouraged students not to be embarrassed about affirming Biblical truths such as the existence of a creator and the belief that all people are made in the image of God.
“The foundations of a republic are not in conflict with Christianity. In fact, they draw on key Christian beliefs.”
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, West closed by inviting students to reflect on the responsibility that comes with those truths.
“Let us dedicate ourselves to defending and communicating those truths that we might keep our republic for another generation.”
Cornerstone University looks forward to Dr. West’s continued curriculum work with undergraduate students as they engage the Great Works Canon of the American Experience™, examining the speeches, sermons, letters, debates, and foundational texts that shaped the American Republic.
For more information about The Cornerstone Core™ curriculum and market-aligned degree programs, contact admissions@cornerstone.edu.
