May 08, 2012 by Rob Boston in Wall of Separation

Two professors at Grove City College have just released a book that demolishes David Barton's bogus 'scholarship.'

Last month I wrote about Religious Right pseudo-historian David Barton’s new book The Jefferson Lies, which attempts to prove that Thomas Jefferson was an orthodox Christian and not really a strong advocate of church-state separation.

Reading that thing just about drove me bonkers. Barton wrenches material from context, tells half of the story and sometimes just makes things up. It’s an appalling example of what I call “historical creationism.”

I’ve been debunking Barton’s revisionist history since 1993 – and pointing out repeatedly that the man is not a qualified historian. He has a bachelor’s degree in Christian Education from Oral Roberts University.

But to be honest, I’ve felt a bit hamstrung myself because I’m not an academic either. Neither is another prominent Barton critic, Chris Rodda of Liars for Jesus. Chris does great work, but it’s just too easy for some to dismiss her research (and mine) because it doesn’t come from the academy.

Now the academy has spoken – and Barton is not going to like what it has to say. Two Grove City College professors holding doctorates have just released Getting Jefferson Right: Fact-Checking Claims About Our Third President.

Authors Warren Throckmorton, a psychology professor, and Michael Coulter, a humanities and political science professor, are both conservative Christians. (Grove City is a private Christian institution where, according to its website, the “ethical absolutes of the Ten Commandments and Christ’s moral teachings guide the effort to develop intellect and character in the classroom, chapel, and cocurricular activities.”)

Americans United.