The Roots of Religious Freedom: Jefferson’s Revolutionary Vision

For more than two centuries, Thomas Jefferson and his Statute for Establishing Religious Freedom have shaped Americans’ understanding of religious liberty and the First Amendment. Jefferson argued that both religious freedom and political freedom depend on keeping church and state separate. But in 1985, Justice William Rehnquist challenged the historical accuracy of relying on Jefferson and his colleague James Madison to understand the First Amendment. Since then, the argument has been used to support greater government involvement in religion. Historian John Ragosta defends Jefferson’s vision, tracing it to his religious beliefs and reexamining the origins of the First Amendment.