F ounder’s Pen
from the
Dear Reader,
A mother contacted me to tell the story of her child’s litera-
ture textbook. Most of the time, when we think of the poten-
tial for evil in a literature book, we are thinking of writing that
is immoral, sensual, etc. However, this mother had a different
story. She told me that her son’s high school, non-Christian,
literature textbook actually printed, in its entirety, Jonathan
Edwards’ famous sermon entitled, “Sinners in the Hands of an
Angry God.” For those of us who have studied church history, we
recognize this sermon as one of the most famous sermons ever
preached on the subject of hell. Conviction was so strong in the
service where Rev. Edwards preached this sermon that people
were holding on to the support posts to avoid falling into hell. God used this sermon and the man
who preached it in a powerful way to lead sinners to repentance and to awaken the nation.
This mother was grateful to see Edwards’ famous sermon in this non-Christian textbook. However, her joy
was short lived as she read the comments from the editors. The editors basically conveyed that sermons like
this one were used in the 1700s to manipulate people into joining a certain religious sect. In one sentence,
they stated a complete falsehood and misled students into believing that Jonathan Edwards was a fraud.
Most often we hear about textbooks that are laced with LGBTQ propaganda, and Christian parents get up in arms.
What we don’t hear about are the tens of thousands of false presuppositions and assumptions that fill secular text-
books from preschool through the end of high school. These false ideas are so deep and wide that even the child who
attends church and lives in a wonderful Christian home cannot possibly comprehend or sort through all of them.
We have chosen to publish this special edition of The Renewanation Review magazine because we believe secu-
lar textbooks are spreading false ideas in much the same way a secular teacher spreads false ideas. The underly-
ing worldview and philosophy of the writers shape the text, and the text shapes the understanding and world-
view of children. Textbooks built from a biblical worldview framework provide children with the whole picture.
They help to give students a deep and lasting understanding of who God is, how God thinks, and why His
design for humans produces peace, productivity, prosperity, and blessings no other worldview can produce.
Renewing our nation, one child at a time,
Jeff Keaton
Renewanation Founder & CEO
“
The underlying worldview
and philosophy of the writers
shape the text, and the text
shapes the understanding and
worldview of children.”
7