Episode Overview

Title: Noah Webster: More Words
Podcast: 5 Minutes in Church History with Stephen Nichols
Host: Ligonier Ministries
Date: February 18, 2026

In this episode, Dr. Stephen Nichols revisits the monumental work of Noah Webster, focusing on the theological and historical richness of his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. Nichols explores Webster's detailed and spiritually-informed definitions of key terms such as "truth," "education," "transformation," "history," "theology," and "church," highlighting how Webster integrated biblical principles and references into his dictionary—making it a resource not just for language, but for Christian life and thought.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Webster’s Dictionary—A Tool Shaped by Scripture

• Webster’s monumental achievement: His 1828 dictionary contained 70,000 words and about 6,000 biblical references to illustrate them.
• Webster’s innovation: He introduced many new words and drew deeply on Christian thought in his definitions.

“There are 70,000 words in his 1828 dictionary, the American Dictionary of the English Language. Just for a trivial fact, there are 6,000 biblical references that he uses to illustrate those words.” —Stephen Nichols [00:20]

Theological and Spiritual Definitions

Truth

• Webster begins with “conformity to fact or reality” and adds a specifically Christian dimension, referencing Christ:

“Jesus Christ is called the truth.” —Stephen Nichols [00:38]

Education

• Goes beyond academics to stress spiritual instruction:

“His definition of education includes ‘to give children a good education in manners, arts and sciences is important. To give them a religious education is indispensable.’” —Stephen Nichols [00:42]

Conversion & Transformation

• Nichols highlights how Webster defines spiritual change:

“His definition of conversion...and along the lines of his definition of conversion, here is Webster on transformation...a profound change in the soul from enmity to holiness, conforming to God's image.” —Stephen Nichols [00:55]

• Webster cites Romans 12:2:

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” —Stephen Nichols quoting Webster [01:05]

History

• Nuanced and layered, covering causes, events, and effects:

“History is an account of facts, particularly of facts respecting nations or states, a narration of events in the order in which they happened, with their causes and their effects. I love that definition. It's the event, but what led into it, the cause, and what flows out of it to the effect.” —Stephen Nichols [01:17]

• Different types of history, including church history.
• Candid view on humanity:

"What is the history of nations but a narrative of the follies, crimes and miseries of man?" —Stephen Nichols quoting Webster [01:55] “Well, that sounds like a good Calvinistic understanding of history. The follies, the crimes and the miseries of man.” —Stephen Nichols [02:00]

Theology

• Defined as “divinity,” the science of God and divine things:

“The science which teaches the existence, character and attributes of God, his laws and government, the doctrines we are to believe and the duties we are to practice.” —Stephen Nichols [02:10]

• Distinctions:
  • Natural theology: Knowledge of God through nature and reason.
  • Revealed theology: Learned from revelation.
  • Moral theology: Divine laws relating to our actions.

Church

• Both a building and an assembly:

“Webster defines the church as a house consecrated to the worship of God among Christians, the Lord's house... The Greek: to call out or call together, denotes an assembly or collection.” —Stephen Nichols [02:38]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On why we study definitions:

  “In the lobby there was a painting ... apparently was his favorite saying: ‘look it up.’ And so that is my advice to you. Find a good dictionary, maybe like Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary, and look it up.” —Stephen Nichols [03:10]

Important Timestamps

• [00:07] — Introduction, recap of previous episode’s focus on Noah Webster
• [00:20] — Webster’s dictionary statistics and scriptural references
• [00:38] — Discussion of “truth” and Webster’s Christian inflection
• [00:42] — “Education” and the indispensability of spiritual instruction
• [00:55]–[01:05] — Definitions of “transformation” and the spiritual dimension
• [01:17] — Deep dive into the layered meaning of “history”
• [01:55]–[02:00] — Honest assessment of history’s moral content
• [02:10] — “Theology” and its various forms
• [02:38] — Definition and etymology of “church”
• [03:10] — Memorable closing story: “Look it up.”

Summary

Dr. Nichols uses Webster’s dictionary as a lens to view the intersection of language, theology, and Christian life, demonstrating how carefully chosen words and definitions can both reflect and shape faith. From "transformation" to "history," Nichols draws out Webster’s conviction that knowledge—anchored in scripture and truth—is at the heart of Christian living. His playful admonition to "look it up" with a good dictionary encourages listeners to be lifelong learners, exploring both the vocabulary and the faith handed down through church history.