Description
Book SynopsisOffers insight into the complex relationship between religion and law in contemporary America
Why religion? Why law? Why now? In recent years, the United States has witnessed a number of high-profile court cases involving religion, forcing Americans to grapple with questions regarding the relationship between religion and law. This volume maps the contemporary interplay of religion and law within the study of American religions.
What rights are protected by the Constitution's free exercise clause? What are the boundaries of religion, and what is the constitutional basis for protecting some religious beliefs but not others? What characterizes a religious-studies approach to religion and law today? What is gained by approaching law from the vantage point of religious studies, and what does attention to the law offer back to scholars of religion? Religion, Law, USA considers all these questions and more.
Each chapter considers a specific keyword in the study o
Trade Review
This artfully constructed, richly complex collection does an excellent job of examining the persistent disconnect between scholarly understanding of religion and court cases involving religion. * Choice *
Here, we finally have a thoroughly interdisciplinary text that relies on case studies to (1) illustrate significant theoretical insights, and (2) model future work in American religious studies. * Reading Religion *
Essential reading for scholars of new and alternative religious movements because the book provides concrete examples of people and groups who do not conform to white Protestant norms. It describes their struggle under the burdens that come as a result of the ways in which religion and law are adjudicated in the United States. The reviewer highly recommends the book to religion scholars in general, legal scholars, as well as graduate students in those fields. * Nova Religio *
Religion, Law, USA, edited by Joshua Dubler and Isaac Weiner, explores various terms associated with law and religion…the inquiry has been fruitful…The discussion is detailed and helpful. -- Luke C. Sheahan - Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA * Journal of Church and State *
