Property Rights and the Limits of Religious Liberty

Religious toleration has characterized Western thought since the writings of John Locke and Samuel von Pufendorf in the late seventeenth century, but philosophers and others now search for comprehensive and principled answers to questions about the limits of religion in public life. Thinking about religious liberty in terms of property rights and rational individual behavior can help us avoid religious discrimination, while protecting both the public order and the legitimate rights of all private individuals.