What Jefferson and Madison would have thought about ‘rededicating’ the US to God

The ‘Rededicate 250’ rally raised questions about separation of church and state. Jefferson and Madison’s many letters to each other shed light on that much-debated principle.

By: Steven K. Green, Willamette University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 7, 2026

Words: 1,418

Last Updated: 2 days, 8 hours ago

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By Steven K. Green, Willamette University

Thousands of Americans prayed on the National Mall on May 17, 2026, during “Rededicate 250”: a day-long rally to “come together in prayer and worship ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday,” as organizers described it. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, one of many Republican politicians and conservative Christian leaders to speak, led a prayer to “rededicate the United States of America as one nation under God.”

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