Should prayer be allowed in public schools? Should biology be taught according to Darwin or to the book of Genesis? Why is polygamy against the law? These are just a few of the questions that touch our lives directly and emerge out of the separation of church and state. In this volume, one of the most distinguished scholars of American religious history traces the complicated relationship of church and state from the early colonial period, through the unique American experiment in religious liberty after the Revolution, to the ongoing debate over religious issues in our schools and communities. Edwin Gaustad relates entertaining and edifying accounts of headline-grabbing court trials involving polygamy, witchcraft, and church taxation. He quotes moving passages from the speeches and writings of American Presidents and Supreme Court justices to prove that, to paraphrase Michelangelo, "religious liberty is made up of a series of trifles, but religious liberty is no trifle."

In this volume, Edwin Gaustad traces the complicated relationship of Church and state from the early colonial period, through the unique American experiment in religious liberty after the Revolution, to the ongoing debate over religious issues in our schools and communities.

Scholars and popular authors regularly claim that Christianity, at least orthodox Christianity, has fostered oppression and intolerance. A common narrative is that liberty and equality have been advanced primarily when America’s leaders embrace progressive manifestations of religion or reject faith altogether. Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land demonstrates that Christianity is responsible for advancing liberty and equality for all citizens. Throughout American history, Christians have been motivated by their faith to create fair and just institutions, fight for political freedom, oppose slavery, and secure religious liberty for all. The New York Times’s 1619 Project is only a recent and prominent manifestation of the tendency of journalists, academics, and popular writers to portray American Christianity as a force of oppression and intolerance. Without shying away from the ways in which the Christian faith has been used to defend and even encourage harmful practices, Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land shows that it has far more often been a force for good. From the American Puritans—who created some of the most republican and free institutions the world had ever seen—to America’s founders’ opposition to slavery, to contemporary Christian legal advocacy groups that fight to protect religious liberty for everyone, this volume offers an important corrective to those who would downplay the role Christianity has played in advancing liberty and equality for all citizens.

Liberty is a look at this noble subject from a historical as well as Biblical standpoint. The author begins with a look at the life of his 10th great grandfather, who was a Puritan minister, and traces the history of the growth of liberty in this nation. As one moves through the book, liberty is observed from the view of the government, the home, the church, and the soul. The book is designed to be used as a quarterly study, complete with discussion questions. "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10). Ron Milliner and his wife have worked in public education for over 50 years. They both have a passion for history. His other passion is science, and his previous book, Fake Evidence, was a historical look at the major evolution-creation court cases from the Scopes Trial to Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. They both grew up in the Louisville, Kentucky area but have broadened their horizons, having visited all 50 states and several foreign countries. They brought back many of these experiences into the classrooms where they shared them with their students. Now retired, he enjoys the opportunities to visit with churches and share what he has learned in history and science from a spiritual viewpoint.