Religion and the Courts

This course is designed to give you an overview of the legal relationship between church and state in the US. We will begin with a discussion of American Civil Religion and an exploration of the distinction between the “religion of the state” and the “religion of the nation.” This will inform our discussion of arguments about The Founders and their intentions regarding church and state. We will then look at the process by which the legal understanding of the constitutional provisions regarding religion has developed in the courts over time, and examine current examples of free exercise and no establishment conflicts.

Click here for a sample syllabus.