Religious Freedom Center

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY EDUCATION

The Religious Freedom Center educates the public about the history, meaning and significance of religious freedom, and promotes dialogue and understanding among people of all faiths and none.

WHAT WE DO: The Religious Freedom Center carries out the mission by promoting civil dialogue, engaging the public, transforming schools, educating thought leaders and publishing religious liberty scholarship.

THE VISION: Effective civic and religious leadership in the United States requires a thorough understanding of the First Amendment principles that govern the relationship of religion and government, define protections for the free exercise of religion and provide the civic framework for living among people of all faiths and none.

THE PROBLEM: Unfortunately, many leaders receive little or no civic education about the history and significance of the religious liberty clauses of the First Amendment. As a result, many Americans are misled about the constitutional role of religion in public life, confused about the meaning of church-state separation, and uncertain about the limits of the free exercise of religion.

THE PLAN: To address this gap in preparation for civic and religious leadership, the Religious Freedom Center is currently partnering with leading postsecondary schools in developing accredited educational programming designed to teach the principles of rights, responsibility and respect that flow from the religious liberty clauses of the First Amendment.

By applying this constitutional framework, thought leaders will be able to forge a shared understanding of the place of religion in public life and work together to sustain America’s bold experiment in living with even our deepest differences.

WHO BENEFITS: Professionals—such as religious leaders, educators, and journalists—are uniquely positioned to help cultivate an informed and engaged citizenry.