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Podcast Episode

Why Liberty Needs Virtue: Fusionism and the Christian Case for a Free Society, with Stephanie Slade

The Libertarian Christian Podcast·Libertarian Christian Institute·14 September 2026·1h 2m

About this episode

Libertarians agree that freedom is worth defending, but not all libertarians believe that liberty needs virtue in order to survive. In this episode, Stephane Slade, senior editor at Reason and author of the new book Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right, argues that a free society cannot endure unless its people possess the moral habits that make freedom workable — honesty, trustworthiness, responsibility, and respect for the rights of others. Without virtue, citizens eventually demand coercion to protect themselves from one another, and liberty collapses under the weight of fear. The notion that freedom and virtue are not rivals but partners goes by the name of fusionism, and Slade provides a history of this idea, its advocates, and its enemies.Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com Come meet fellow Christian libertarians, sharpen your thinking, and be part of a growing movement rooted in faith and freedom at the Christians for Liberty Conference.Lunch is included in the price of the ticket. We will send out a form ahead of the conference requesting dietary preferences and restrictions.Learn more here. Use code LCI50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings and also support LCI!Full Podsworth Ad Read BEFORE & AFTER processing: https://youtu.be/vbsOEODpQGs ★ Support this podcast ★