The presence of religious faith in the public square has come under increased scrutiny and criticism. The rapid rise of secularism in our post-Christian American culture and the troubling behavior of professed Christians in the political arena are two reasons for this criticism. Though several recent Supreme Court decisions have vindicated free speech and free exercise claims and rejected unconstitutional applications of the Establishment Clause, opposition to the presence of faith in public life appears to be growing. Yet the appropriate relationship between God and government is a major issue, one that deeply concerned the Framers as they envisioned the necessity of religion as the foundation for a virtue-dependent self-governed free society.

Grove City College’s Center for Faith and Public Life, under the auspices of the College’s Institute for Faith and Freedom, will seek to promote the presence of Judeo-Christian values in public institutions by: 1) expanding awareness of the extensive historic relationship between religious belief and public life; 2) exploring competing frameworks approaches for integrating Christianity and public policy and service; and 3) strengthening opportunities for Christian engagement in public service. The term “public life” usually refers to the work of government and the political sphere, but it also can be understood more broadly to include business, education, media, and other sectors within our social fabric.