Political Sermons of the American Founding Era

Ellis Sandoz, ed., Political Sermons of the American Founding Era, 1730-1805 (Liberty Fund, 2d ed. 1998).

This two-volume set is an unlikely source of quick guidance to biblical principles applied to the law. At more than 1500 pages, the sermons give flavor, color, and character to the varied themes of religion and politics, rather than law in the late 18th century. There are a good number of sermons that address “rights,” usually freedom or worship or other religious or associational liberties. With the extensive index, however, a little digging will yield some gems relevant to other areas of legal study. There are a number of sermons, for example, examining the duties of the civil magistrate as God’s agent and other related subjects.