Proclaiming Liberty to the Captives: Bondage and Freedom in the Christian Spiritual Tradition

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 1 Peter 2:16

Every Independence Day we celebrate the relative freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. In our public discourse, we are confronted again and again by the notion, or by varying notions, of freedom. This program ranges through scripture, the Christian spiritual tradition, and various expressions of political theology in order to discern a uniquely Christian understanding of both freedom and bondage. We will then explore how such an understanding might guide not only our personal lives, but our public participation in the democratic process.