Faith and Public Life with Melissa Rogers

Melissa Rogers is the Distinguished Scholar in Residence in Faith, Law, and Public Policy at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity. She joins me to talk about how our voices can create positive change in government and society. A nationally recognized leader in religion, law, and public life, Melissa brings decades of public service, policy expertise, and scholarly depth to her role at Wake Forest. She has shaped national conversations on religious freedom, church-state relations, and the role of faith in civic life. We sat down to talk about religious liberty, the Constitution, and what it really means to protect freedom of belief in a pluralistic society.Melissa brings deep historical perspective, legal expertise, and years of public service experience, including her time advising presidents. We talked about Baptist roots in religious freedom, the balance between faith and government, and why protecting religious liberty for everyone is essential to a healthy democracy.It’s a conversation about principle, humility, and how we live alongside people who believe differently than we do.