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This volume provides in a single source a thorough grounding in the origin, development, and current controversies surrounding the free practice of religion.

The first boatloads of European settlers did not come to America advocating religious tolerance. They came seeking the freedom to practice their own religion. Other sects, they believed, were wrong at best and, at worst, not to be tolerated.

The question of what constitutes "legitimate," constitutionally protected religious practice has been debated ever since. Does it include the use of peyote? Polygamy? Refusing medical care for a sick child? Freedom of Religion follows the evolving understanding of the concept of religious freedom from Great Britain to the New World, through hundreds of U.S. courtrooms, to the volatile modern-day issues of school prayer and faith-based initiatives. The thorough, responsible, and cool-headed analysis presented here offers readers a solid grounding in the constitutional issues behind the headlines.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Series Foreword(p. xi)
• Preface and Acknowledgments(p. xxi)
• 1 Introduction(p. 1)
• Conclusion(p. 16)
• References(p. 16)
• 2 Origins and Development(p. 19)
• Origins(p. 20)
• History(p. 24)
• Founding Principles(p. 28)
• The Constitution(p. 31)
• Development(p. 34)
• References(p. 50)
• 3 The Establishment Clause(p. 53)
• Historical Origins(p. 54)
• School Prayers(p. 65)
• Evolution and Creationism(p. 74)
• Aid to Parochial Schools(p. 78)
• The Lemon Test(p. 83)
• The Burger Court and School Aid(p. 86)
• A Resurgence of Fundamentalism(p. 91)
• Another Effort to Reinstate School Prayer(p. 97)
• The Rehnquist Court and Accommodation(p. 101)
• Conclusion(p. 110)
• References(p. 111)
• 4 The Free Exercise Clause(p. 113)
• The Mormons and Polygamy(p. 118)
• Jehovah's Witnesses and the Flag Salute(p. 127)
• Finding an Accommodation for Religion(p. 140)
• Conscientious Objectors(p. 145)
• Protecting the Amish(p. 148)
• Native Americans in the Court(p. 151)
• The Religious Freedom Restoration Act(p. 153)
• Conclusion(p. 158)
• Notes(p. 159)
• References(p. 159)
• 5 Key People, Cases, and Events(p. 163)
• 6 Documents(p. 197)
• Virginia Rules on Conduct and Religion (1619)(p. 197)
• Roger Williams, The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution (1644)(p. 200)
• Excerpts from Revolutionary-Era State Constitutions (1776-1784)(p. 203)
• James Madison, "Memorial and Remonstrance" (1785)(p. 212)
• Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)(p. 220)
• Northwest Ordinance (1787)(p. 223)
• Argument of Counsel in Defense of Seal of Confession (1813)(p. 224)
• Thomas Kennedy Seeking Equal Rights for Jews in Maryland (1818)(p. 227)
• Joseph Story, "The Religion Clauses of the First Amendment" (1833)(p. 229)
• John Tyler on the Know-Nothings (1854)(p. 233)
• Reynolds v. United States (1879)(p. 234)
• Alfred E. Smith on Catholicism and Patriotism (1927)(p. 241)
• Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940)(p. 245)
• West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)(p. 253)
• Everson v. Board of Education (1947)(p. 263)
• Zorach v. Clauson (1952)(p. 266)
• John F. Kennedy on Church and State (1960)(p. 271)
• Engel v. Vitale (1962)(p. 276)
• Sherbert v. Verner (1963)(p. 282)
• Epperson v. Arkansas (1968)(p. 291)
• Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)(p. 295)
• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)(p. 301)
• Wallace v. Jaffree (1985)(p. 312)
• Edwards v. Aguillard (1987)(p. 316)
• Employment Division, Oregon Department of Human Resources v. Smith (1990)(p. 324)
• Lee v. Weisman (1992)(p. 330)
• Religious Freedom Restoration Act (1993)(p. 340)
• Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia (1995)(p. 343)
• City of Boerne v. Flores (1997)(p. 354)
• Agostini v. Felton (1997)(p. 359)
• Chronology(p. 371)
• Table of Cases(p. 373)
• Annotated Bibliography(p. 377)
• Index(p. 391)
• About the Author(p. 411)

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CHOICE Review

Urofsky (history, Virginia Commonwealth Univ.) presents a historical and analytical study of the constitutional right of religious freedom as elaborated in various US Supreme Court decisions. The judicial system is responsible for drawing guidelines and deciding conflicts between divergent opinions about separation of church and state. The original Constitution left many states with established churches but rejected any national establishment. In 1818 the first state barred the use of public funds for religious education; state courts recognized the principle of confessional confidentiality; and Sunday closing laws existed in all states. Only in 1947 did the federal Supreme Court rule that the establishment clause applied to the states. Urofsky sketches a series of complex Supreme Court decisions concerning state-enforced school prayer, Bible reading, and the expenditure of federal funds for private schools. The free exercise clause decisions arose in cases involving the Mormons and polygamy, the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Flag Salute, and the Amish. The author concludes with a list of key people, cases, and events associated with religious policy. He provides brief selections from the vast array of available public documents on religion. A useful review of religious freedom for general readers and lower-division undergraduates. M. S. Power emeritus, Arkansas State University

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Melvin I. Urofsky is director of the doctoral program in public policy and professor of history at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.