The Museum of the Bible is unveiling new exhibits, hosting a lecture series and presenting a theater production based on the faith of George Washington as part of “The Bible & America 250,” an initiative highlighting the role of the Bible in American history as the nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The Washington, D.C.-based institution is launching special programming and exhibits ahead of the anniversary celebration. Beginning June 7, a series of lectures will explore the question: “What was the Bible’s role in the founding of the United States, and what does it mean for us today?”
Additional lectures will take place in person and virtually from 2 to 5 p.m. ET on July 12, July 26, Aug. 9, Aug. 23, Sept. 20, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Nov. 9, Nov. 22 and Dec. 6.
According to the Museum of the Bible’s website, the lectures will feature “world-renowned scholars and historians from across the nation” and examine “the biblical rhetoric of revolution, the spiritual framing of independence, and the scriptural foundations of early American political thought.”
Notable speakers include Thomas Kidd of Baylor University, Robert George of Princeton University, Daniel Dreisbach of American University, Catherine Brekus of Harvard University, Vincent Phillip Muñoz of the University of Notre Dame, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik of Yeshiva University, Esau McCaulley of Wheaton College, Thomas Albert Howard of Valparaiso University and Mark David Hall of Regent University. The events are free, but registration is required.
In addition to the lectures, two new exhibits will open July 3. Museum of the Bible Curator Anthony Schmidt discussed the anniversary-related programming in an interview with The Christian Post.
Schmidt told CP that one of the exhibits, “Sacred Liberty,” will highlight “the Bible’s role and presence in the American Revolution and the Founding Era more broadly.”
He said the exhibit will show how the Bible “was used by people on both sides of the American Revolution to justify their cause, to rally support and to make claims about the political system and their observations about the political climate.”
Schmidt said the exhibits will feature “several items from our own collection” as well as “key loans from private individuals and institutions from the region.”
He noted that many of the items have remained in storage because of the museum’s limited exhibit space.
“This is an opportunity to tell new stories and to show those works for the first time,” he said.
The second exhibit will display items from the museum’s collection that have never been publicly exhibited, including paintings illustrating “biblical roots in the Puritan imagination.”
Schmidt said the exhibits will showcase the “human side of some of these towering historical figures” whom he contended “struggle with the same questions and uncertainties that everyday people struggle with.” He praised the exhibits for “humanizing history and finding ways of connecting with it on a personal level.”
He said the exhibits help in “humanizing history and finding ways of connecting with it on a personal level.”
“The Bible was just such an immense cultural authority during the Founding Era,” Schmidt added.
He pointed to the Bible’s influence on Patrick Henry’s Revolutionary War-era speech, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.”
“It’s just dripping with biblical imagery and allusions,” he said.
Schmidt expects the exhibits to remain open through March 2027.
“We’ll be around and open throughout 2026 and into the spring months of 2027, giving people plenty of opportunity to come and enjoy the exhibitions and dig into the topic themselves,” he said. “We have been thinking about this for quite some time and laying the groundwork for … over a year and so this makes it even more exciting to finally unveil to the public.”
The Museum of the Bible’s World Stage Theater will host a live production of “A General’s Prayer,” which tells the story of George Washington during the American Revolution, from June 12 to July 19.
The production will feature actor James Denton, known for his role on “Desperate Housewives,” as Washington.
The 70-minute performances will take place at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets start at $25.
According to the production synopsis, “A General’s Prayer is a stirring one-man theatrical experience that invites you into Washington’s private world: his doubts, his resolve, and his dependence on God in the face of overwhelming uncertainty. Through moments of reflection, memory, and prayer, we encounter not the distant legend: but the man, a leader shaped as much by faith as by strategy, and a struggle that may feel closer to home than you expect.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
