The Free Exercise of Religion in America

Its Original Constitutional Meaning

Ellis M. West

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Hardback

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English

Springer Nature Switzerland AG
22 February 2019

Religion & politics; Religious freedom & freedom of worship; Constitutional & administrative law

This book explains the original meaning of the two religion clauses of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law [1] respecting an establishment of religion or [2] prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” As the book shows, both clauses were intended to protect the free exercise of religion or religious freedom. West shows the position taken by early Americans on four issues: (1) the general meaning of the “free exercise of religion,” including whether it is different from the meaning of “no establishment of religion”; (2) whether the free exercise of religion may be intentionally and directly limited, and if so, under what circumstances; (3) whether laws regulating temporal matters that also have a religious sanction violate the free exercise of religion; and (4) whether the free exercise of religion gives persons a right to be exempt from obeying valid civil laws that unintentionally and indirectly make it difficult or impossible to practice their religion in some way. Adefinitive work on the subject and a major contribution to the field of constitutional law and history, this volume is key to a better understanding of the ongoing constitutional adjudication based on the religion clauses of the First Amendment.

By: Ellis M. West
Imprint: Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Country of Publication: Switzerland
Edition: 2019 ed.
Dimensions: Height: 210mm, Width: 148mm,
Weight: 560g
ISBN: 9783030060510
ISBN 10: 3030060519
Pages: 317
Publication Date: 22 February 2019
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Ellis M. West is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Richmond, USA. His scholarship focuses on the religion clauses of the First Amendment, as they were originally understood and have been interpreted by the US Supreme Court.

Reviews for The Free Exercise of Religion in America: Its Original Constitutional Meaning

THE FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION IN AMERICA: ITS ORIGINAL CONSTITUTIONAL MEANING is a tour de force. It will surely become the book from which future debate over the historical origins of the religion clauses, particularly the Free Exercise clause, begins. ... THE FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION IN AMERICA lands in our scholarly midst at a time of continuing political and legal struggles over the meaning of religious liberty. (Andrew R. Murphy, Law and Politics Book Review, October, 2019)