Based on my forthcoming book, Born of Ideas: How Principles, Faith, and Courage Forged America (available for pre-order at https://tinyurl.com/5hbpujuj), this lecture was delivered at my alma mater, Grove City College, on April 16, 2026.

From the Amazon description: In a world where revolutions often replace one form of tyranny with another, the American Revolution stands apart. Why? In Born of Ideas, Lawrence W. Reed reveals that America’s founding was not merely the result of war, but of a profound transformation in thought―an extraordinary revolution of ideas rooted in liberty, personal responsibility, faith, and moral courage. Through engaging, accessible essays, Reed introduces readers to both well-known figures and unsung heroes whose convictions shaped a nation. From the Mayflower Compact to the struggles of the Revolutionary era, each chapter illuminates the principles that made America unique―and that remain essential today. Order here: https://tinyurl.com/3vwxznxz

Your teachers and professors undoubtedly taught you “something,” true or not, about the so-called robber barons. Did they ever mention this one?

Christianity not only survived the evil Diocletianic Persecution, it emerged stronger than ever, underscoring the prophecy of the early Christian author Tertullian that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

Empires come, empires go. It’s a law of history.

What does it mean to have a “spiritual foundation”? Can we think of it as completely independent of any notion of an intelligent Creator?

We are smothered in jaw-dropping marvels without ever noticing how inscrutable they are.