Notre Dame's Tocqueville Program: "The Meanings of Religious Freedom in America"

The University of Notre Dames Tocqueville Program held its inaugural two-day conference Feb. 4-5, 2009:
Freedom for, Freedom from, or Freedom of Religion: The Meanings of Religious Freedom in America.
Day one of the event, Feb. 4, began with a debate between Nicholas Wolterstorff, Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, Fellow of Berkeley College at Yale University; Mark Lilla, Professor of Humanities, Columbia University; and Bill Galston, Senior Fellow & Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution.
The following day, Feb. 5, a panel of Notre Dame faculty responded to points made during the debate. The panel included David Campbell, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science; Rick Garnett, Professor, Notre Dame Law School; John McGreevy, I.A. O'Shaughnessy Dean of the College of Arts and Letters; and Mark Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History.

At America's founding three different and sometimes competing visions of religion in American political life were planted in American soil:freedom of religion, for religion, and from religion. These three distinct conceptions converged at the time of the American founding in the form of the religion clauses of the First Amendment, as well as the many parallel provisions in the state constitutions. Yet Americans do not always agree on the role religion should play in American public life. Should it be excluded from the public sphere or restrictions placed upon its use in public life or is the democratic process weakened and civic life diminished without the full participation of those with strong religious views? What should the relationship between religion and public life be in America? What is the meaning of religious freedom today?

Category:

Education

Tags:

• University
• Notre
• Dame
• Tocqueville
• Program
• religious
• freedom