NEWS PROVIDED BY
Institute for Faith, Work & Economics
Nov. 12, 2019

MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 12, 2019 /Standard Newswire/ -- Institute for Faith, Work & Economics (IFWE) announced Tuesday the launch of its latest book, Set Free: Restoring Religious Freedom for All (Abilene Christian University Press). With contributions from Christian theologians, historians, and policy analysts, Set Free explores why religious freedom must be restored for people of all faiths.

Editors Art Lindsley and Anne R. Bradley said this book addresses an urgent need. "Religious freedom is a crucial issue to be discussing in America today," said Lindsley, vice president of theological initiatives at IFWE. "Many are trying to redefine religious freedom in an untraditional way. We believe religious freedom benefits society, protects other rights, and is a fundamental human right. Christians should be at the forefront defending religious freedom for all—contending for justice, not 'just us.'"

In addition, they said the book provides a historical look at Christianity's influence on religious freedom and how religious freedom contributes to human flourishing. "Set Free unpacks the biblical roots of religious freedom, how the thread of religious freedom was woven throughout history, and the current-day, practical discussions in the United States," said Bradley, the George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education at The Fund for American Studies and the vice president of economic initiatives at IFWE. "As a Christian economist, called to promote flourishing, I'm particularly convinced of the correlation between religious freedom and economic freedom—you can't have one without the other. This book makes that critical connection."

Contributing authors include Os Guinness, John S. Redd Jr., Barrett Duke, Hugh C. Whelchel, E. Gregory Wallace, Daniel L. Dreisbach, Joseph Connors, Jennifer Marshall Patterson, Mark David Hall, Stanley W. Carlson-Thies, and editors Art Lindsley and Anne R. Bradley.

Set Free explores:

• What are the biblical roots of religious freedom in the Old and New Testaments?
   
• How was the thread of religious freedom woven throughout early church history and America's founding?
   
• How is religious freedom important for retaining political and economic freedom?
   
• What's at stake right now for the freedom of people of all faiths? What should be done to preserve it?

The book is a project of IFWE, Templeton Foundation, and Abilene Christian University Press (ACUP).

Jason Fikes, director of ACUP said, "In today's charged political climate, tightly held ideologies seek to silence every conversation about religious rights, both for individuals and institutions. Set Free offers a hopeful reminder that every person deserves to have their religious freedom honored."

SOURCE Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

CONTACT: Kristin Brown, kbrown@tifwe.org