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Just Liberty: Where Justice and Liberty Meet The whole idea of religious freedom in America has taken a PR hit. For some, it’s a cover for bigotry or tool for Christian nationalists; for others it’s the last line of defense in a society that’s becoming hostile to traditional faith. Is there a better way to think and talk about religious freedom in America that doesn’t buy into political extremes? Join hosts Alan Reinach, executive director of the Church-State Council, who has been litigating religious liberty cases for nearly 40 years, and Bettina Krause, editor of Liberty Magazine, which has been at the forefront of religious liberty conversations since 1906. Together, they interview experts in law, politics, and faith, and tackle tough religious freedom questions, not just from the courts but also from culture. Listen to Just Liberty for a fresh, balanced take on religious liberty and church-state issues. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

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82. When Caesar Wears a Cross - with Matthew D. Taylor

2026/10/27

What happens when Christianity becomes entangled with the pursuit of political power? Religious studies scholar Matthew D. Taylor discusses his new book, Defying Tyrants, and what the anti-authoritarian witness of Jesus can teach Christians navigating today’s political divisions. Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/e5oCuWqm_kA Show Notes Website: Matthew D. Taylor’s website Book: Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists Book: The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy Podcast: Charismatic Revival Fury: The New Apostolic Reformation podcast series Article: "America's Spiritual Warriors," Liberty magazine. Article: “From Warning to Witness: Why I Wrote Defying Tyrants” Bio: Matthew D. Taylor—Georgetown University’s Berkley Center

Replay: A Clause for Confusion? Debating the First Amendment's Establishment Clause w Charles Haynes

2026/10/20

What exactly did our colonial forebears have in mind when they forbade laws "respecting an establishment of religion"? And why have we been arguing about it ever since? We take a tour through American history and Supreme Court jurisprudence with First Amendment scholar and author Charles Haynes. Note: The interview in this episode was published on October 29, 2024. Watch the full episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ymGL_BlidJQ . Show Notes Freedom Forum website: https://www.freedomforum.org Background on the establishment clause: https://www.freedomforum.org/the-establishment-clause/ News story on recent Supreme Court establishment clause decisions: https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2022/07/17/supreme-court-church-state-religion-coach/ •••• Guest: Charles Haynes X: @1stForAll FB: https://www.facebook.com/FirstAmendmentForAll/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/1stforall/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freedomforum/"

Replay: What's So Christian About Christian Nationalism? w Amanda Tyler

2026/10/13

Christian nationalism has been in the media spotlight ever since the tumultuous events of January 6, 2021. But finding an agreed-upon definition for this phenomenon has proved elusive. What are we really talking about when we call someone a Christian nationalist? And how accurate, really, is that "Christian" label? Interview with Amanda Tyler, Executive Director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Note: This interview originally aired on May 24, 2024. You can watch the original episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/zi9OyqvpKF4?si=8OGxa186P5DSlVeY Show Notes Baptist Joint Committee | Website Christians Against Christian Nationalism | Website Respecting Religion | Podcast

Replay: Punching Above it's Weight - Adventism and Religious Freedom Advocacy w Michael Campbell

2026/10/06

On paper, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of America's smallest protestant Christian denominations. Yet through the years, it's had a surprisingly outsized influence on the national discourse around religious freedom issues. How and why did this happen? We unpack the fascinating and little-known history of Adventist advocacy with one of the church's foremost historians. Note: This interview originally appeared in Episode 15, published on June 10, 2024. You can view the episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/-nWuwRtOtsI. Show Notes Short history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's religious freedom advocacy: https://www.religiousliberty.info/history Liberty magazine, started by Seventh-day Adventists in 1906, is the world's oldest, continually published magazine of religious freedom: https://www.libertymagazine.org/

Replay: History--It's not just about the past. Interview with Warren Throckmorton

2026/09/29

Could historical mis-readings of America's founding be helping fuel today's political polarization? What difference does it make what we believe about Thomas Jefferson's religious views or his attitude toward slavery? We talk with Warren Throckmorton, a psychologist, podcaster, and co-author of the book, Getting Jefferson Right: Fact-checking Claims About Our Third President. Note: This interview was originally published on September 3, 2024. You can watch the episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/XUsr9CjQu1c Show Notes: The "Telling Jefferson Lies" podcast hosted by Dr. Throckmorton: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/telling-jefferson-lies/id1720424853 Book: Getting Jefferson Right by Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Jefferson-Right-Fact-Checking-Claims/dp/0974670626/ Where to find Warren Throckmorton X: @wthrockmorton FB: https://www.facebook.com/wthrockmorton

Replay: How Evangelicals Became a Predictable Voting Bloc - with Barry Hankins

2026/09/22

How and when did evangelical Christians become a predictable voting bloc? And what does this shift mean--not only for American politics, but for the church itself? We talk with Barry Hankins, an author, professor, and renowned historian of the evangelical movement, about the consequences of politicized Christianity and the forces that drive it. This interview was originally published in Episode 25 on October 22, 2024. Watch the video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/NvkGKkPLr2k Show Notes Liberty magazine article: ""It's All About Me: How the culture wars are redefining evangelicals and religious liberty."" https://www.libertymagazine.org/article/its-all-about-me Books authored or co-authored by Dr. Hankins: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Barry-Hankins/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ABarry+Hankins

81. The Commission Versus the Wall? - with Brian Kaylor

2026/09/15

The Trump-created Religious Liberty Commission is studying how to protect faith in American public life. Its draft report raises a basic question: can free exercise thrive if establishment limits are weakened? Show Notes Document: Draft Report of the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission. Article | David Katibah, Four Key Takeaways from the Religious Liberty Commission's Draft Report, Religion News Service, June 30, 2026. Substack | @briankaylor Website | Brian Kaylor Instagram, X, and Facebook: @briankaylor

80. Paper Rights and Religious Minorities - with Audra Savage

2026/09/08

The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Landor raises a basic question: what good is a religious-liberty right if the person harmed can't get a meaningful remedy? This episode explores whether American religious liberty works equally well for everyone—or whether minority traditions face higher practical barriers. Show Notes Article | Amy Howe, "Court rules former Louisiana inmate cannot sue prison officials in religious dispute over long hair", SCOTUSblog, June 23, 2026. Article | Audra Savage, Slavery and the Myth of Religious Liberty, BYU Law Review, Vol. 51, Issue 5 (June 1, 2026).

79. Can Religion Save Democracy? - with Matthew Kaemingk

2026/09/01

Can people of deep religious conviction live together politically without trying to dominate one another? A Christian theologian and a Muslim political scientist believe that religion can strengthen American democracy, and that more religion in American life won't necessarily fuel more Christian nationalism. Show Notes Facebook: Matthew Kaemingk X: @matthewkaemingk LinkedIn: /in/matthew-kaemingk/ Book | Can Religion Save Democracy? by Matthew Kaemingk and Shadi Hamid. Website | Dr. Matthew Kaemingk

78. The Christian Past that Wasn't - with Warren Throckmorton

2026/08/25

A look at the contested legacy of Thomas Jefferson, religious liberty, and the way Christian nationalist arguments use—and misuse—the founding generation. Today's guest is Warren Throckmorton. Show Notes Substack: @warrenthrockmorton Facebook: WarrenThrockmorton Book | The Christian Past that Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths that Hijack History, by Warren Throckmorton. Book | Getting Jefferson Right, by Michael Coulter and Warren Throckmorton. Podcast | The Christian Past that Wasn't Website | Getting Jefferson Right

77. Christian Nation? Not So Fast - with John Fea

2026/08/18

Everyone wants a simple answer: Is America a Christian nation or a secular republic? One historian believes that America's history resists both slogans and suggests that the real story is messier than either side would like. Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/SvZHBy_KdWY Show Notes Book | In God We Trust: Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? by John Fea.

76. When the State Says "Amen" with Alan Brownstein

2026/08/11

When government speaks about God, who is included—and who is pushed aside? A conversation about official prayer, government religious speech, religious equality, and changing First Amendment jurisprudence. Article | "Why there are (and should be) constitutional restraints on government religious speech," by Alan Brownstein and Vikram Amar.

75. China's War on Faith - with Sam Brownback

2026/08/04

Former U.S. Ambassador for Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, knows better than most what happens when a government decides that faith itself is a threat. Join this conversation on China, surveillance, persecution, and the fight for freedom of conscience that has implications far beyond China's borders. Show Notes Book | China's War on Faith, by Sam Brownback with Michael Arkush - https://www.simonandschuster.com/book... Website | The Brownback Group - https://brownbackgroup.org/ X: @SamuelBrownback

74. Should America "Stop in the Name of God"? Reviewing Charlie Kirk's posthumous book on the Sabbath - Jonathon Cherne

2026/05/26

Charlie Kirk's book on the Sabbath, released posthumously, has created quite a stir. We explore the push for a national shared day of rest and why it’s more complicated than it sounds. We get into the religious meaning of Sabbath, the history of blue laws, and what happens when the government gets involved in something that isn’t just about taking a break. Guest: Jonathan Cherne, author, attorney and "Of Counsel" to the Church State Council *** Show Notes Book Review | "Should American 'Stop in the Name of God?' | Liberty Magazine, March/April 2026 - https://www.libertymagazine.org//article/should-america-stop-in-the-name-of-god

73. The Kingdom Comes to Capitol Hill: Dominionism in modern American politics - with André Gagné

2026/05/19

A straightforward look at dominionism—what people mean by it, how it shows up in our politics, and why it matters. We talk through how some Christians think about influence and power, what’s changing, and what it could mean for America's tradition of religious pluralism. Guest: André Gagné, Professor and Chair, Theological Studies at Concordia University Special Host: Stephen Allred, Church State Council **** Article | "Remaking the Kingdom: Why understanding dominionist theology is key to making sense of contemporary American politics" by André Gagné | Liberty Magazine March/April 2026 - https://www.libertymagazine.org/article/remaking-the-kingdom