The American republic is rife with conflicts, hostility, and incivility. Competing visions have led to a dangerous moment of cultural self-destruction.

Yet the roots of the crisis are deeper than many realize. Os Guinness argues that we face a fundamental crisis of freedom, as America's genius for freedom has become her Achilles' heel. Our society's conflicts are rooted in two rival views of freedom, one embodied in "1776" and the ideals of the American Revolution, and the other in "1789" and the ideals of the French Revolution. Once again America has become a house divided, and Americans must make up their minds as to which freedom to follow.

This grand treatment of history, civics, and ethics in the Jewish and Christian traditions represents Guinness's definitive exploration of the prospects for human freedom today. He calls for a national conversation on the nature of freedom and poses key questions for concerned citizens to consider.

In the tradition of Alexis de Tocqueville, Guinness provides a visitor's careful observation of the American experiment. Discover here a stirring vision for faithful citizenship and renewed responsibility, not only for the nation but also the watching world.

Os Guinness is the author of more than thirty books, including The Global Public Square, A Free People's Suicide, Renaissance, Fool's Talk, and Impossible People. He has been a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and a senior fellow at the EastWest Institute. He is a frequent speaker and prominent social critic and a passionate advocate of freedom of religion and conscience for people of all faiths and none.