Civil disobedience is taught widely in American schools as an integral part of the American story. Henry David Thoreau is honored as a civil hero. Susan B. Anthony earned placement on American coinage, and Martin Luther King received a holiday in his honor. But what counts as civil disobedience? What makes it civil, and what makes it disobedient? For this episode, we explore the the concept of civil disobedience in the United States, with a special attention to the religious and philosophical contexts in which it emerged.

Guests: Alexander Livingston, associate professor at Cornell University