John Locke and Religious Freedom

© 2016 Robert OsburnAfter setting aside the stories about the valiance of Revolutionary Wars heroes, most of us learn a very simple narrative about America’s founding: The new nation transcended the old and bloody religious intolerance of Europe, thanks to secular...

The Church as Model Nation

© 2015 Robert OsburnI thought about titling this essay “The Magnificent Church,” but, to some folks, calling the church “magnificent” is like calling a trailer court an “estate.”   “Fractious, stumbling, squawking” may seem like better adjectives for an...