If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty

Metaxas's (Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy) book means to inspire readers to keep lit the flame of American liberty as established by the founders. The book is evangelical in nature, a love letter to old America and traditional liberties, which Metaxas argues are rapidly vanishing and in danger of becoming extinct within this generation. Each chapter cautions against forgetting America's constitutional and foundational roots and calls for self-governance and the return of the government to its proper role in society. The book's arguments are almost exclusively grounded in the 18th century and frame the original intent of the creation of America. Metaxas leans heavily on historical situations, speeches, figures, and art, but his argument suffers from the lack of a connection with a modern United States and the driving home of how these illustrations translate today. In that sense, the book is more historical than political, as the author's main point is that the American philosophy and history he outlines are important to the survival of the country, which he fears are in danger of being forgotten.