Book On Framers Of The Constitution To Be Covered By Upcoming Series At Memorial Baptist

Posted on March 6, 2010 - 4:55pm

by Sue Blesi

Jerry Breihan will lead a class in the study of the book, The Five Thousand Year Leap:  28 Great Ideas That Changed the World,  by W. Cleon Skousen. The 2008 and 2009 editions feature a forward by Glenn Beck. Breihan’s series will take place at Memorial Baptist Church in New Haven, beginning  March 22 and running from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on eight consecutive Monday evenings.

Skousen studied law in Washington, D.C. in the 1920s and 1930s, and spent time looking for a book that would explain the preparations and mindset of the Founding Fathers when they framed our Constitution. He never found a book that met his criteria; therefore, he decided to write one in the early 1980s. Skousen came up with 28 principles that Breihan will discuss in his class. The author died in 2006, but he left his book as a legacy to Americans.

“The framers of the Constitution,” Breihan said, “studied the Bible, Judea-Christian law, the Anglo-Saxons and their common laws, the works of learned men, including ancient Greeks, Romans, Plato, Cicerio, and their views on establishing a society.

“Prior to this point in time, no other nation had looked at past civilizations,” Breihan continued. “The Constitution was written to keep our nation free, avoiding subjection to a king or an anarchy.”

There are 106 customer reviews posted on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “This book is the quintessential book on understanding the brilliance of our Founding Fathers.” The original book reportedly shot to Number One on the Amazon Best Seller List.

Breihan, a deacon at Memorial Baptist, is involved with the Franklin County Patriots and is passionate about his topic and is concerned about where our nation is headed. He said he "wanted to do something to let people know the Founding Fathers weren’t just a bunch of rich, white, racist people who wrote a document that is no longer relevant." A young person recently told Breihan he thought that each generation should write their own rules, but Breihan added, “That’s just not working so well right now.” Our Constitution is relevant and needs to be upheld.

Skousen’s book will be available at the class for $10 or the book can be purchased elsewhere in advance. Breihan stresses that this is not the DVD course being shown in other locations in the county.