Religious Expression and the American Constitution

by Haiman, Franklyn Saul

• ISBN13: 9780870136900
• ISBN10: 0870136909
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-11-01
• Publisher: Michigan State Univ Pr

Summary

First Amendment rights have been among the most fiercely debated topics in the aftermath of 9/11. In the current environment and fervor for "homeland security, " personal freedoms in exchange for security are coming under more scrutiny. Among these guaranteed freedoms are the protection of religious expression given by the U.S. Constitution and the institutional prohibitions against behaviors that violate the separation of church and state. The mandate that the government "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" is a general principle that has guided American courts in interpreting the original intent of the First Amendment. In Religious Expression and the American Constitution, Haiman focuses on the current state of American law with respect to a broad range of controversial issues affecting religious expression, both verbal and nonverbal, along with a review of the recent history of each issue to provide a full understanding.

Author Biography

Franklyn S. Haiman is John Evans Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at Northwestern University and an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Historical Background	1	(10)
Understanding the First Amendment	11	(14)
Religious Expression in Public Places	25	(18)
Religious Expression in Public Schools	43	(26)
Public Funding of Religious Schools	69	(20)
Historical Issues of Religious Expression Versus Competing Social Interests	89	(20)
Current Issues of Religious Expression Versus Competing Social Interests	109	(18)
Religious Expression and Political Life	127	(14)
Appendix 1: Roger Williams's Bloudy Tenent of Persecution	141	(2)
Appendix 2: The General Laws and Liberties of the Massachusetts Colony	143	(2)
Appendix 3: Maryland Act Concerning Religion	145	(4)
Appendix 4: John Locke's Letter Concerning Toleration	149	(10)
Appendix 5: Jefferson's Notes on Virginia	159	(2)
Appendix 6: James Madison's Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments	161	(6)
Appendix 7: Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom	167	(2)
Appendix 8: Thomas Jefferson's Reply to the Danbury Baptist Association	169	(2)
Appendix 9: Engel V Vitale	171	(8)
Appendix 10: Lemon V Kurtzman	179	(8)
Appendix 11: Wisconsin V Yoder	187	(8)
Appendix 12: Marsh V Chambers	195	(14)
Appendix 13: Lynch V Donnelly	209	(8)
Appendix 14: Wallace V Jaffree	217	(6)
Appendix 15: Lee V Weisman	223	(12)
Notes	235	(12)
Index of Cases	247	(4)
General Index	251