Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Human flourishing

December 09, 2020

The heart of demographic decline: Why ‘pro-family’ policies won’t save us

In his 2013 book, What to Expect When No One’s Expecting, Jonathan V. Last warned of the “coming demographic disaster,” pointing to America’s recent dip below replacement-level fertility. Today, the rate of decline still shows little sign of slowing, driven by a complex “constellation of factors” that range from genuine blessings, to “problems of plenty,” to idols of choice and convenience. Continue Reading...
November 06, 2020

Victories for liberty: 2020 state ballot initiatives

Whatever the outcome of the 2020 presidential race, liberty won numerous victories – and suffered a handful of setbacks – in state referendums nationwide. Voters in both “blue” and “red” states endorsed policies to advance individual initiative, limit government overreach, and establish equal justice under the law. Continue Reading...
October 14, 2020

The forgotten child: Pandemic policies are leaving kids behind

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed many victims, from the millions who have contracted the virus directly to many others who continue to endure its social and economic disruptions. The suffering has been particularly acute for the children who continue to be confined at home, whether struggling to adapt to remote-learning regimens or remaining mysteriously absent altogether. Continue Reading...
September 11, 2020

David French’s Christian vision for economic freedom

Given the recent wave of populism and protectionism sweeping across the American Right, we see increased criticism of free markets among conservatives – complete with lengthy debates about the purpose of the nation-state, the role of the market in civil society, and whether classical liberalism has any enduring value in an age of technological disruption and globalization. Continue Reading...
September 04, 2020

How to beat the ‘social recession’ of COVID-19

Before the COVID-19 crisis began, America was already facing a severe loneliness epidemic – marked by decades-long increases in suicide and chronic loneliness and declines in marriage and community attachment. Now, amid flurries of sweeping lockdowns, the struggle has become harder still, pushing any remnants of embodied community deeper into the confines of social media. Continue Reading...
August 20, 2020

Work like Daniel: economic witness in a post-Christian age

America is seeing a steady rise in secularization, pronounced by accelerating declines in religious identification, church attendance, and biblical literacy. As the norms of “cultural Christianity” continue to fade, the call to “be in but not of the world” is stirring new questions about how we live, create, and collaborate in modern society. Continue Reading...