"Exploring how faith and freedom of conscience can promote the common good. "

SHOW NOTES: In this episode of The Blessings of Liberty, Melody Barnes, Executive Director of Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia, the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and Rabbi David Saperstein, former United States Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom, join to discuss the role of faith and freedom of conscience in advancing the common good and strengthening democratic society. Jeffrey Rosen, senior fellow at FIRE and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program was originally recorded as part of the September 16th Dallin H. Oaks Evening Program at the Washington National Cathedral, a part of the Cathedral’s A Better Way initiative. You can hear the entire program at the Washington National Cathedral’s podcast, Crossroads.

Participants

Melody Barnes is executive director of the UVA Karsh Institute of Democracy and a professor of practice at the Miller Center. During the administration of President Barack Obama, Barnes was assistant to the president and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.

The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, the first woman elected to the position. She also serves as the chair of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which stewards the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools.

Rabbi David Saperstein is director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, having served as its director and counsel for 40 years. He also served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom during the second term of the Obama administration.

Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Additional Resources

• Dallin H. Oaks Evening Program
• Crossroads, the Washington National Cathedral’s podcast

Stay Connected and Learn More

• Continue the conversation by following us on social media.
• Substack: @rosenjeffrey
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Thank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans—especially freedom of speech and free thought. Learn more about FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.

"Exploring the career and contributions of the Penman of the Revolution"

SHOW NOTES: In this episode of The Blessings of Liberty, historian Jane E. Calvert discusses the life and legacy of John Dickinson. The program also features readings from Calvert’s new Dickinson biography, a performance of Dickinson’s “The Liberty Song,” and original compositions with music and lyrics by Jeffrey Rosen. Rosen moderates. This episode was originally recorded as a Clarke Forum program at Dickinson College.

Participants

Jane E. Calvert is the founder, director, and chief editor of the John Dickinson Writings Project (JDP) and associate professor of History at the University of Kentucky (UK). She is the author of Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson, the first comprehensive biography of the key American founder John Dickinson

Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Additional Resources

• Jane E. Calvert, Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson (2024)
• Jane E. Calvert, Quaker Constitutionalism and the Political Thought of John Dickinson (2012)
• John Dickinson, Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1767-1768)
• Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness: How the Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America (2024)
• Pursuit of Happiness: Two Song Cycles by Jeffrey Rosen
• The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness

Stay Connected and Learn More

• Substack: @rosenjeffrey
• Instagram: @TheBlessingsOfLiberty
• X: @JeffreyRosenPod
• X (Personal): @RosenJeffrey
• YouTube: @TheBlessingsofLibertyPod

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining freedom of speech and free thought. Learn more about FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.

"The American Idea with America’s patriotic philanthropist"

SHOW NOTES: In this special episode of The Blessings of Liberty, a celebration of Constitution Day, investor, philanthropist, and historian David Rubenstein walks through the nation’s semiquincentennial, the big ideas of the Declaration and the Constitution, and the importance of history and reading in today’s climate.

Participants

David Rubenstein is the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private investment firms. He is principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Chairman of the University of Chicago Board of Trustees, and a leader in the area of Patriotic Philanthropy.

Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Additional Resources

• David M. Rubenstein, The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency (2024)
• David M. Rubenstein, The American Experiment: Dialogues on a Dream (2021)
• Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America (2025)
• Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness: How the Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America (2024)

Stay Connected and Learn More

• Substack: @rosenjeffrey
• Instagram: @TheBlessingsOfLiberty
• X: @JeffreyRosenPod
• X (Personal): @RosenJeffrey
• YouTube: @TheBlessingsofLibertyPod

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans—especially freedom of speech and free thought. Learn more about FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.