A Nation Dedicated to Religious Liberty

Download or read book A Nation Dedicated to Religious Liberty written by Arlin M. Adams and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2015-02-23 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is a concise overview of the historical development and judicial interpretation of the First Amendment religion clauses. It begins with a survey of the history of American religious liberty, goes on to present the views of the Founding Fathers, and then considers the core value of religious liberty and the constitutional purposes that implement that value. the book ends on a practical note by applying these principles to questions of equal access, religious symbolism in public life, and the task of defining religion for constitutional purposes. As the authors note in their introduction, "the historical principles that animate the religion clauses are more than an abstract intellectual exercise. . . . They provide an essential context for guiding the resolution of modern religious liberty issues."