Dr. Catherine A. Brekus, “Founding Mothers: Women, the Bible, and the American Revolution”
While the Declaration of Independence declares that such foundational rights as the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are self-evident, many scholars argue these “self-evident” truths are not as evident today as they once were. Behind these truths, these scholars argue, lies a biblical worldview, especially the ideas of a single, rational Creator and the inherent dignity of humans as bearers of the imago Dei, the “image of God.”
Join us for The Bible and America 250: These Truths Are Not Self-Evident Lecture Series, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. This thought-provoking event brings together a host of renowned scholars and historians to explore the profound influence of the Bible on America's founding principles, values, and institutions.
In this lecture, Dr. Catherine A. Brekus will examine the lives of three women—Sarah Osborn, Deborah Samson, and Phillis Wheatley—and their perspectives on the American Revolution as both a religious and political cause.
Sep 20, 2026 - Sep 20, 2026
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
Scholars Initiative Conference Room, Floor 5R
Free Admission (Event Ticket Required)
In Person Event
Virtual Event
Abstract
This talk explores the lives of three women who viewed the American Revolution as a religious as well as political cause: Sarah Osborn, a schoolteacher who led an evangelical awakening in Newport, Rhode Island; Deborah Samson, a soldier who dressed as a man to fight in the Continental Army; and Phillis Wheatley, a poet and an enslaved woman who defended liberty as God’s cause.
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Schedule
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1:30 p.m. | Welcome & Check In
1:30–2:00 p.m. | Refreshments
2:00–3:00 p.m. | Lecture
3:00–3:30 p.m. | Panel Q&A
3:30–5:00 p.m. | Self-Guided Tour of the Bible in America Gallery
Lecturer
Dr. Catherine A. Brekus
Catherine A. Brekus is the Charles Warren Professor of the History of Religion in America at Harvard Divinity School. She is the author of many books about religion in early America, including Sarah Osborn’s World: The Rise of Evangelicalism in Early America. She graduated from Harvard University with a BA in the history and literature of England and America, and she holds a PhD in American Studies from Yale University.
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