David Barton Biography

David Barton (born 1954) is a best-selling author, former teacher, ordained minister, and political activist. He is the author of several books criticizing the current interpretation of separation of church and state in the United States. He was described in a 2005 Time magazine article entitled The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals as “a major voice in the debate over church-state separation.” Barton has been described, by Arlen Specter (a former attorney and, at the time, a Republican, later Democratic), United States Senator,among others, as being a pseudohistorian, and his work has been criticised by historians including Richard V. Pierard.

Barton graduated in 1972 from Aledo High School in Aledo, Texas. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in religious education from Oral Roberts University in 1976 but has no academic qualifications in history.

After graduating, Barton served as a church youth director. He taught math and science, and eventually became principal at Aledo Christian School, which (in 1981) grew out of Aledo Christian Center, a church started by his parents.

In 1987 Barton formed Specialty Research Associates, which “focuses on the historical research of issues relating to America’s constitutional, moral, and religious heritage.” Specialty Research Associates has submitted amicus curiae briefs in a number of court cases.

Barton is the founder and president of the Aledo-based group WallBuilders, an organization which presents “America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and constitutional foundation on which America was built.” WallBuilders publishes and sells most of Barton’s books and videos, which include Barton’s position that the modern view of separation of church and state is not consistent with the views of the Founders.

Barton is married and has three grown children, including a daughter who does minority outreach for the Republican Party of Texas.

Barton is a former Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. Barton has also acted as a political consultant to the Republican National Committee on outreach to evangelicals.

Barton serves on the Board of Advisors of the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, publisher of a controversial Bible curriculum for use in public schools. This curriculum contains a number of direct quotations from Barton’s books, as well as recommending the resources published by WallBuilders, and advocates showing that group’s video, Foundations of American Government, at the beginning of the course.

Barton serves on the Board of Advisors of the Providence Foundation. In an article discussing Barton, The Nation described the Providence Foundation as “a Christian Reconstructionist group that promotes the idea that biblical law should be instituted in America.

Barton received two Angel Awards (awarded to “people in any form of the media who have successfully contributed to the advancement of quality in life without the unnecessary need for violence, profanity and sexual content to sell to their audience”) from the group “Excellence in Media.” In 2005, he was named in a Time Magazine cover story as one of the 25 most influential Evangelical leaders in America. In addition to appearing on Trinity Broadcasting Network and The 700 Club, Barton has been a guest on Fox News Channel, ABC, and National Public Radio.

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