The debate over religious liberty in the United States is broken. Until recently a bedrock commitment shared across both parties, the consensus about our “first freedom” has quickly unraveled. Especially since the Supreme Court decided in 2015 to legalize same-sex marriages nationwide, religious liberty is the latest culture-war battleground. Too many on both sides have hardened and radicalized their positions.
Over the course of this unraveling, Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs has undertaken a rigorous research program on the subject. Its Religious Freedom Project is the only university-based center devoted to scholarship on religious freedom. Dozens of scholars from a diverse array of institutions and faith traditions have contributed to these efforts, a mix of discussion, advocacy, and research into the state of religious freedom in the United States and around the world.
Read Full Article »