Religious Freedom

It’s often said that it was the intolerance of Christians, from the apostle Paul to the Renaissance Popes, that led to the Enlightenment’s secular cry for “freedom of religion” - and even freedom from religion.

Religion fosters bigotry and violence toward difference. Enlightened secular thought fosters peace and pluralism. Right?

But did you know there are religious origins to religious freedom?

Show Notes

LINKS

• Get to know our guest Professor Robert Wilken
• This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book, The Problem of Jesus by Mark Clark
• Read Robert Wilken's latest book Liberty in the Things of God: The Christian Origins of Religious Freedom
• More on the Edict of Milan, in which Constantine declared: “Freedom and full liberty has been granted in accordance with the peace of our times to exercise free choice in worshipping as each one has seen fit. This has been done by us so that nothing may seem to be taken away from anyone’s honour or from any religion whatsoever.”
• More on Roger Williams
• Find out more about Thomas Jefferson and religious freedom.
• Our 'Phone a Friend' guest this episode was Tim Wilson, an Australian Liberal MP and former Human Rights Commissioner. Watch a talk Tim gave on religious freedom to the Centre For Independent Studies here.

What is Undeceptions with John Dickson?

Every week on Undeceptions we’ll explore some aspect of life, faith, history, culture, or ethics that is either much misunderstood or mostly forgotten. With the help of people who know what they’re talking about, we’ll be trying to ‘undeceive ourselves’ and let the truth ‘out’.