As religious liberty becomes a topic of greater concern in our nation, some might assume this freedom only affects those who espouse faith and a desire to exercise their sincerely held beliefs. However, religious freedom is just one facet of liberty. If it suffers, so does the whole. As an example of this principle, there are now data which show the inextricable link between religious and economic liberty. Each supports and impacts the other, providing a reason for libertarians and fiscal conservatives to join the cause of defending and promoting religious liberty as a matter of practice, not just intellectual belief. Join the Family Research Council and Jay Richards as he comes to share a unifying perspective on the many reasons religious liberty is worth protecting.
Jay W. Richards, Ph.D., O.P., is an Assistant Research Professor in the School of Business and Economics at The Catholic University of America, Executive Editor of The Stream and a Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute.
Richards is author of many books including the New York Times bestsellers Infiltrated (2013), Indivisible (2012), and Money, Greed, and God, winner of a 2010 Templeton Enterprise Award. He also co-authored The Privileged Planet with astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez. His most recent book, co-authored with Jonathan Witt, is The Hobbit Party: The Vision of Freedom that J.R.R. Tolkien Got and the West Forgot. His articles and essays have been distributed in many publications on topics ranging from culture, economics, and public policy to natural science, technology, and the environment.
Richards has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs. He has also spoken to Members of the U.S. Congress and U.S. congressional staff. In January 2008, his debate with the late Christopher Hitchens at Stanford University, moderated by Ben Stein and Michael Cromartie, was broadcast live to several hundred North American churches. Richards has a Ph.D., with honors, in philosophy and theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. He also holds an M.Div., a Th.M. (Master of Theology), and a B.A. with majors in Political Science and Religion. He lives with his family in the Washington DC Metro area.
