Michael Novak is the author of the book entitled, “On Two Wings: Humble Faith and Common Sense at the American Founding.” In this book, Novak suggests the American experiment is symbolized by an eagle flying with two wings. One wing is the common sense of plain reason coming out of the Enlightenment and embodied in the writings of Montesquieu, Blackstone and Locke. The other wing of the American experiment is the humble Christian faith held by virtually all of the approximately 100 men considered to be founders of our country, as well as the faithful women who were their wives, like Martha Washington and Abigail Adams.

Unfortunately, the way the story of the United States has been told for the past one hundred years, in both culture and academy, this wing of faith has been largely ignored or given short shrift. Novak says, “[The telling] has cut off one of the two wings by which the American eagle flies, her compact with the God of the Jews--the God of Israel championed by the nation’s first Protestants--the God who prefers the humble and weak things of this world, the small tribe of Israel being one of them; Who brings down the mighty and lifts up the poor; and Who has done so all throughout history, and will do so till the end of time. Believe whether there is such a God or not--the founding generation did, and relied upon this belief. Their faith is an “indispensable” part of the story.”