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Prior to the 1980s, the incipient Religious Right was skeptical of the US judicial system given a variety of decisions that went against their interests. Dr. Robert Daniel Rubin examines how Southern Christians came to embrace judicial review using two crucial court cases involving education in Mobile, Alabama, and Judge Brevard Hand who decided them. This discussion is both a microcosm of social and political change brewing in the South in the 1980s, but also a reflection of broader trends developing in American society.

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What role did the Bible play in the rhetoric of the Founding Era of the United States? Prof. Daniel Dreisbach discusses how various themes and particular passages of the Scriptures were used by political leaders during the late 18th and early 19th century to help frame the creation of a new republic. He argues that verses found in Micah, Proverbs, and other places were used frequently to connect to a larger political conversation with the American people regarding the nature of the United States, the importance of virtue in its citizenry, and why the diffusion of power was important. We also chat about the role of religion during presidential inaugurations.

Search our archives for more great topics related to this episode and many other subjects!

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What do public school teachers think about the ability to exercise religious expression in the classroom? Prof. Laura Olson of Clemson University discusses her study on the attitudes teachers have towards the free exercise clause in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Dr. Olson contextualizes this issue in recent Supreme Court cases and the a decision by a public employee in Kentucky to refuse issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. We also discuss religious voting trends in light of the upcoming 2016 presidential election.

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In 19th century America, Jews disproportionately filled an important role in the US economy as peddlers and merchants who brought supplies to settlers in the westward expansion. Prof. Colleen Haight of SJSU explains the logic behind this phenomenon and links it to the economics of religion and the role that religious distinctiveness played in solving reputational problems. She also addresses the matter of hostility towards Jews and how this factored in to their chosen profession. This is an encore presentation from the autumn of 2014.

We will return on July 24th with new episodes. In the meantime, search our archives!

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Can a committed Christian also be a good liberal? We invite Prof. Kyle Swan, a philosopher at Sacramento State, to share his thoughts on the topic. We discuss the general concept of liberalism, not in the sense of its use in current US politics, but rather from the perspective of the term as it originated in the Enlightenment with an emphasis on liberty and the “right to be left alone.”

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Happy bicentennial to the American Bible Society, celebrating its 200th year in operation on May 11, 2016. To celebrate, we invite historian John Fea (Messiah College) to discuss the history of the ABS and his recent book “The Bible Cause.” We track the changes to this quintessential American institution over time, emphasizing how it reflected and shaped our society over the past two centuries.

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Prof. John Inazu of Washington University Law School (St. Louis) explains how four of the main freedoms contained in the US Constitution’s First Amendment are interrelated and how a series of court cases during the latter half of the 20th century has boiled down these separate, but related, freedoms into a single free speech dimension. Our primary focus is on the relationship between the free expression clause and the freedom of assembly, though other issues come into play. We review important court cases from Roberts v Jaycees to Hosanna-Tabor.

Browse our vast archives to find many more interesting episodes.

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For our annual Fourth of July episode, and for our 250th podcast, we invite our very first “just graduated” high school student, Phoenix Moomaw, to discuss his senior project on the faith of President Ronald Reagan. As the grandson of Reagan’s pastor in Southern California, Phoenix came across several folders of personal letters between Reagan (as governor and president) and his grandfather. He uses these letters and some additional research at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley to determine how much Reagan’s faith affected his policies and style of governing. His answer to this question is surprisingly nuanced.

Help us celebrate the completion of our fifth year in existence by mentioning this podcast to at least five friends, colleagues, or family members. Thanks!

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Being in the midst of the sesquicentennial of the US Civil War, we examine the religious rhetoric used by one of that era’s looming figures, Abraham Lincoln. Prof. Daniel Dreisbach of American University explores the religious phrases, themes, and cadence of Lincoln’s two most famous speeches — The Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address.

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The first few decades after the founding of the United States represented a time of intense political and religious struggle. Prof. Jonathan den Hartog (University of Northwestern in St. Paul, MN) discusses this conflict and how it shook out. Based upon his new book “Patriotism and Piety: Federalist Politics and Religious Struggle in the New American Nation,” Prof. den Hartog illuminates how a group of American thinkers sought to strengthen the role religion played in American civil society and how that affected the way we govern ourselves.

Visit us at our Facebook Fan Page for a picture of Prof. den Hartog’s book as discussed in the introduction.

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