America of course has her fair share of faults. The leftist and critical theorists love to only concentrate on those faults, without ever looking at any positives.

In recent articles I have looked at various related issues, including the injunction for believers to seek the welfare of the city they find themselves in (Jeremiah 29:7); the matter of American exceptionalism with specific reference to John Winthrop and his “City Set On a Hill;” and next year’s 250^th anniversary of the Independence of America, especially as discussed in some new books by Os Guinness.

I want to tie these different matters together by looking at one chapter from a helpful new book: In Defense of Christian Patriotism by Daniel Darling (Broadside Books, 2025). I have already written an introductory review of that book, so please have a read of it here.

My focus here is on Chapter 5: “The Case for American Exceptionalism”. I will mainly feature quotes from it, including some useful quotes Darling offers from other writers. Just as his entire volume defends the notion that Christians can be patriotic and love their country, so too here: Christians can and should recognise and celebrate the unique American beginning.

He introduces his thoughts on this as follows: “Beyond gratitude, which is essential for a Christian, it’s right to ask, ‘Is there something special, perhaps even God blessed, about our country?’” He recognises that some Christians will reject this, claiming it is idolatrous and so on to even think that way.

He says we of course are NOT promoting the idea that Americans are of more value and worth than others. We should not act as if we are superior to others simply because of where we were born. Instead, a “healthy American exceptionalism is not arrogance but an appreciation of the blessings of freedom, liberty, and prosperity. It’s a recognition of the uniqueness of the country.”

He quotes Southern Baptist scholar Richard Land in this regard:

To whom much is given, much is required. No nation or people have ever been as blessed as the citizens of the United States. A blessing by definition is undeserved. I believe we have an obligation to be the friend of freedom and the defender of human dignity whenever we are asked and whenever we can. We can’t address all the world’s ills, but when we can make a difference, we should.

And that does not mean that we see America as being the promised land. Writes Darling:

Followers of Jesus can hold two things in tension. We can both believe that America is a good gift from God and recognise that America is not Zion, is not the end of history, and that we must ultimately look for a city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10). In its proper place, loving our country above the rest is a way of expressing gratitude for our home.

Darling looks at how very different the American Revolution was from other revolutions, and presents a number of helpful quotes from historians and intellectuals. They make it clear how quite distinctive the American experiment was, especially in terms of a government instituted on the consent of the governed.

He notes how historian Thomas Kidd said that the Declaration of Independence is “the most resounding statement of human equality the world has ever known”—mainly because of its “theological character.” And he quotes columnist George Will:

America had an exceptional revolution, one that did not attempt to define and deliver happiness, but one that set people free to define and pursue it as they please. Americans codified their Founding doctrines as a natural rights republic in an exceptional Constitution, one that does not say what government must do for them but what government may not do to them.

Darling also shares remarks from Jonah Goldberg:

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