A conservative perspective on vital questions about religious libertyIn this timely book, historian John D. Wilsey addresses urgent questions about religious freedom in America. How have conservatives historically understood the meaning of religious freedom? How do Americans who identify as conservatives think about religious freedom in contemporary times? What are the differences between the historical and contemporary views, and why do those differences matter in the context of how conflicts relating to religious freedom are being handled today?
Writing for fellow Americans concerned about threats to religious liberty, Wilsey draws on US history to explain why rather than weaponizing religious freedom in the context of the culture wars, today's conservatives need to rally around religious freedom in order to increase harmony between the interests of church and state. With wisdom and acuity, Wilsey charts a path forward for thinking about and maintaining a uniquely American tradition: the harmony between liberty and religion that each generation has received as an inheritance from the generations preceding theirs.
