American Religious History

Religious liberty is one of the earliest civic values associated with the United States, yet defining and defending it has proved a centurieslong process. When divided opinions by the court claim to be speaking for religious liberty, it's because religious liberty under the Constitution contains both a right to freely exercise religion and a right not to be coerced via the state into accepting someone else’s religious practices. Read More

Watch James Hudnut-Beumler, who will step down this summer as dean of the Vanderbilt Divinity School, give a talk on the evolution of American religious trends during his school leadership. Read More