(The Conversation) — As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, debates about religious freedom continue to occupy the center of American public life. Since taking office for a second time, the Trump administration has issued a number of executive orders on religion that raise new questions about religious freedom. On May 1, 2025, the administration established the Religious Liberty Commission. The commission will advise the White House on policies intended to protect the free exercise of religion and to prevent discrimination against people of faith by the federal government. The administration has also issued executive orders to “eradicate anti-Christian bias” and to broaden protections against religious discrimination across federal agencies. Some scholars argue that these actions signal a broad effort to reshape how religious freedom is interpreted and practiced, with a pronounced emphasis on favoring Christianity. Debates over religion in public life are not new. As a scholar of religious freedom, I have long been interested in how the early debates about religious freedom at the nation’s founding can …