The Magna Carta of Humanity

Sinai’s Revolutionary Faith and the Future of Freedom

By: Os Guinness

Narrated by: Os Guinness

Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

In these stormy times, loud voices from all fronts call for revolution and change.

But what kind of revolution brings true freedom to both society and the human soul? Cultural observer Os Guinness explores the nature of revolutionary faith, contrasting between secular revolutions such as the French Revolution and the faith-led revolution of ancient Israel. He argues that the story of Exodus is the highest, richest, and deepest vision for freedom in human history. It serves as the master story of human freedom and provides the greatest sustained critique of the abuse of power. His contrast between “Paris” and “Sinai” offers a framework for discerning between two kinds of revolution and their different views of human nature, equality, and liberty.

Drawing on the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, Guinness develops Exodus as the Magna Carta of humanity, with a constructive vision of a morally responsible society of independent free people who are covenanted to each other and to justice, peace, stability, and the common good of the community. This is the model from the past that charts our path to the future.

“There are two revolutionary faiths bidding to take the world forward”, Guinness writes. “There is no choice facing America and the West that is more urgent and consequential than the choice between Sinai and Paris. Will the coming generation return to faith in God and to humility, or continue to trust in the all sufficiency of Enlightenment reason, punditry, and technocracy? Will its politics be led by principles or by power?” While Guinness cannot predict our ultimate fate, he warns that we must recognize the crisis of our time and debate the issues openly. As individuals and as a people, we must choose between the revolutions, between faith in God and faith in reason alone, between freedom and despotism, and between life and death.

©2021 Originally published by InterVarsity Press as The Magna Carta of Humanity by Os Guinness. © 2021 by Os Guinness (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

A must read

A must read for any American! We need to return to the exodus and back to God.

Christian perspective on American politics

Never a dull moment. Very informative. His call for Americans to remember the Sinai covenant was persuasive.

Most Important Book of our Generation!

Schools, civics courses and churches should establish classes and start teaching the truths of this book to all children and young adults.

Revival or revolution

Although sometimes loosely spoken, but just of the book is clear, and it is true. We face a choice. Freedom is not simply the ability to do what I can or what I want, but rather to do what I ought. Without God everything is permissible.

Must read

Important and critical for our times! Everyone who is concerned about what we are witnessing across the globe need to read this ASAP 

Full of wisdom masked in religion.

There is so much wisdom in this book. If you don’t believe in god, it can be off pudding hearing so much about Exodus and the “proof” that is encapsulated in it. But if you keep an open mind at the propositions he makes, there is brilliance in his words.

The outcome will last centuries.

Anyone concerned about the future of freedom should listen to this book. It will challenge you to see where your ideas of freedom lead and help you to understand the true mission of freedom. The true mission of the founding fathers. Far from perfect but an attempt at bringing true freedom to the world was there aim.

A Profound Treatise Of Our Culture

I am deeply indebted to the sobering analysis laid out here. In an American culture deeply and antagonistically divided we need more thoughtful responses from all sides of the political and theological spectrum. Os Guinness gives us a compelling argument as to where the true roots of revolutionary transformation lay. Not in the storming of the Bastille but in the biblical liberation from Egypt. It is such a deeply nuanced argument that reveals shortcomings on both the radical right and radical left by an exposition that the meaning of Exodus has had on shaping every human view of freedom. The complexity of the Exodus vision is much more deeply comprehensive and calls for a degree of moral and personal responsibility within the context of community or national building that underscores the shortcomings of more patently revolutionary efforts to do so. In today’s cancel culture this book could be easily pigeonholed and dismissed. I hope it will be given the thoughtful consideration with which it was written. Sadly the way of prophetic thought has a grim history in the Western mind.

Important and enjoyable

Dr. Guinness has provided for us in this volume, an important reminder about the true nature of freedom, the source of freedom, and a warning concerning the direction America is currently headed. His arguments are cogent and clear. The books is well written and enjoyable to both read and to listen to.

Excellent. A seminal work for our time.

Crucial read and call to action for Americans. What will become of our republic if we lose sight of our founding principles.