Inspiration for the Modern Revolutionary
How should government protect liberty of conscience? Should the state promote fundamental values, even if those values might seem to promote religion?
In this imagined conversation at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern, Baptist preacher Gowan Pamphlet and five-term Virginia governor Patrick Henry wrestle with these questions….
Peter Manseau is the award-winning author of the memoir “Vows: The Story of a Priest, a Nun and Their Son” and the novel “Songs for the Butcher’s Daughter,” among other titles. His new book, “One Nation Under Gods,” examines the history of religious diversity in America, looking past the cliches of Puritans and awakenings to present a more nuanced, complicated-and interesting-picture of the nation’s spiritual life.
Looking forward to his visit to Williamsburg, we asked Mr. Manseau a few questions about what he has learned about being American from his historical inquiries….
By Bill Sullivan
“A commitment to religious freedom is one of the most important achievements of the founding era precisely because it could be dangerous,” said James Sidbury, Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Rice University, in a talk at the Dewitt Wallace Museum. But dangerous to whom? Sidbury was a featured speaker during Religion Month at Colonial Williamsburg, which features a special emphasis on the role of faith in the nation’s founding….
