Last night, attendees of the fourth annual Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit enjoyed a welcome reception at the University of Notre Dame Main Building Rotunda. The reception included remarks by Notre Dame professor Vincent Phillip Muñoz, who is also the founding director of Notre Dame’s Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government, about his book "Religious Liberty and the American Founding." His remarks were followed by a conversation with Professor Stephanie Barclay and Professor Richard Garnett on the book’s central themes.
TUESDAY, JULY 9
WELCOME RECEPTION HIGHLIGHTS
Book Talk with Professor Vincent Phillip Muñoz on "Religious Liberty and the American Founding"
"Love can only begin in freedom. Love cannot be coerced. And that is the root of the Founders’ philosophy of religious freedom. A God who created us as we are must have wanted us to love Him, and we must have the freedom to do so. And therefore, the state cannot coerce us toward Him. That is the essential teaching of the Founding Fathers."
"The Constitution is not meant to solve all our problems. The Constitution leaves most questions to us. It prohibits a few things, but leaves things to the people."
Professor Vincent Phillip Muñoz, Tocqueville Professor of Political Science and Concurrent Professor of Law
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Tour of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Earlier in the day, guests visited the Basilica of the Sacred Heart for a tour and to learn about its French roots and rich University history.
Read the other daily recaps from the 2024 Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit: