It has been said that brilliance is making the complex simple. This is exactly what David Lantz does in his book, The Bible, Economics and the Constitution: Insights from the Founders for Cultivating Liberty_._ This book is designed to help teachers explain to their students how the story of America's democracy is rooted in the Bible's admonition to practice the seventh fruit of the spirit, self-control. Creating a governmental system of liberty under law, the student will learn of how Adam Smith's vision of an economic system built on "The Invisible Hand" was used to build a vibrant middle class.

The Bible, economics and the Constitution are important topics that are rarely considered together. On the 250th birthday year of our nation, David Lantz has written a book which connects all the dots. It is an easy-to-understand study for a new generation of patriots. It will spark reflection, discussion and analysis by students of all ages, from those in their late teens up to those in the senior years of life. David's captivating writing weaves together three separate debates which lay at the heart of the American experiment.

1. Do we approach life based on a mindset fearful of scarcity or a belief that our pursuit of happiness allows us to experience God's gift of abundance?
2. Do we derive liberty out of the benevolence of a loving God or out of the benevolence of an all-powerful State?
3. Does justice in life flow from a world in which God owns it all, or is justice dispensed by a regimented system in which the collective state owns it all?

Lantz skillfully conveys his message by contrasting America's republic with Creator-given rights to France's democracy with government-granted rights. David explains how the story of America's freedoms are rooted in the Bible's admonition to practice the seventh fruit of the spirit, self-control, together with Adam Smith's vision of an economic system built on "The Invisible Hand." Noting that France's Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was written by the Marquis de Lafayette in 1789, the French came to use their founding charter to justify the repression of Christianity and extol atheism, while giving birth to socialism and the teachings of Karl Marx.

All of these ideas are woven together in a capstone project, where a classroom teacher can lead his or her students to answer the question: "If the Founding Fathers were to speak to us today about how we have tended and cultivated the tree of liberty they so carefully planted in the formative years of our nation, what might they say?" This Capstone project will put the student in the shoes of our founding fathers, and then allow them to apply what they have learned to address the issues we face today.