One Nation ... Under God?

The United States is a country founded on the separation of church and state. But what did the founders really mean by that? Should religion be banished from public life and policy debates? Or could it serve a purpose in the pursuit of happiness and freedom for all?

On this episode, recorded during the Aspen Ideas Festival, we’ll explore what the US founding fathers really thought about the different roles religion could play in society, how that view has changed through history, and what it means for the upcoming US elections.

David French is an American political commentator and current opinion columnist for The New York Times. He is a senior fellow of the Trinity Forum, a former senior editor for The Dispatch, and former staff writer for National Review.

Jeffrey Rosen is CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School, and a contributing editor for The Atlantic.