Why Religious Freedom Matters: Human Rights and Human Flourishing by Allen D. Hertzke was published in April 2026 through University of Notre Dame Press. Drawing on twenty-five years of immersion in global networks of scholarship and advocacy, this book offers a sweeping synthesis of empirical research — illuminating how and why religious freedom lies at the heart of democracy, human rights, economic flourishing, women’s empowerment, poverty alleviation, and peace. It makes a compelling case that advocates of global religious freedom will find both rigorous and galvanizing.
Purchase the book: https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268211066/why-religious-freedom-matters/
Supplemental links:
1) Official page from Notre Dame Press, which provides a book description, chapter outline, author bio, scholarly praise, and a short excerpt from Chapter 1: https://undpress.nd.edu/
2) Emory University Canopy Forum, which contains a longer excerpt from the introduction that includes detailed chapter descriptions and links to some of the studies cited: https://canopyforum.org/2026/
3) Publishers Weekly review:
https://www.publishersweekly.
