Religious Liberty at the Founding and Today

About this episode

The episode discusses the understanding and protection of religious liberty at America's founding and its evolution to the present day.

Religious liberty is at the foundation of the American Idea - but how was it understood and protected at America’s Founding, and how what does this fundamental right look like today? Jeff and Dr. Vincent Phillip Munoz, of Notre Dame University, discuss the earliest state of religious freedom, and how it has evolved today. Read the Virginia Declaration of Rights: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/virginia-declaration-of-rights-2/ Read the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/virginia-statute-for-religious-liberty/ Read Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/letter-to-the-hebrew-congregation-at-newport/ Read JFK’s Speech to the Houston Ministerial Association: https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/historic-speeches/address-to-the-greater-houston-ministerial-association Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

People in this episode

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Guest: Dr. Vincent Phillip Munoz

Topics covered

• religious liberty
• American founding
• evolution of rights
• historical documents
• freedom of religion

Keywords

• religious liberty
• American Idea
• founding
• freedom
• historical context
• Notre Dame
• JFK

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Notre Dame University

Books & works: Virginia Declaration of Rights, Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom, Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation, JFK’s Speech to the Houston Ministerial Association

More episodes of The American Idea

• Returning to First Principles: America's Machiavellian Moment? · June 10, 2026 · 38 min
• The Voting Rights Act and the Callais Supreme Court Decision - Context and Analysis · May 27, 2026 · 40 min
• School Choice: The Past, Present, and Future of a Movement · May 20, 2026 · 48 min
• "Mischievous Cousins' - A British Perspective on the American Revolution · May 13, 2026 · 37 min
• From 1776 to Civil Rights: How the Declaration Shaped the Struggle for Equality · May 6, 2026 · 52 min
• Ronald Reagan and the Declaration of Independence · April 29, 2026 · 44 min