History of Religious Freedom in the U.S. with Chris Beneke episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 10, 2026 · 54 MIN

History of Religious Freedom in the U.S. with Chris Beneke

from Religion in the American Experience · host nationalmuseumofamericanreligion

Join us during America’s 250th as we uncover the long and fascinating history of religious freedom in the United States, considered by many to be one of its greatest innovations, which will equip us to be more effective at perpetuating the American experiment in self-government. Season 4, Episode 2 – History of Religious Freedom in the U.S. with Chris Beneke  Guest Bio Chris Beneke is Professor and Associate Dean of First Year Experience and the Bentley Core at Bentley University. His research interests include American religious history, history of religious toleration, baseball and American history and American intellectual history. Dr. Beneke is the author of many books, including Free Exercise: Religion, the First Amendment, and the Making of America and The Lively Experiment: Religious Toleration in America from Roger Williams to the Present. Podcast Support Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the University of Oslo. Religion in the American Experience is a podcast of the private, digital-first National Museum of American Religion, which tells the story of how religion has influenced America and how America has influenced religion. This includes the establishment of religious freedom in the United States Constitution’s Article VI and Bill of Rights religion clauses.

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History of Religious Freedom in the U.S. with Chris Beneke

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