Bibliograph

The Free Exercise of Religion in America, Its Original Constitutional Meaning, by Ellis M. West

Type

Label

The Free Exercise of Religion in America, Its Original Constitutional Meaning, by Ellis M. West

Language

eng

resource.imageBitDepth

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The Free Exercise of Religion in America

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Oclc number

1084655221

Responsibility statement

by Ellis M. West

Series statement

Springer eBooksSpringer eBooks.

Sub title

Its Original Constitutional Meaning

Summary

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. A definitive 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.--, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

1. Introduction -- 2. Constitutional Rights and Ascertaining their Original Meaning -- 3. Setting the Stage -- 4. The Meaning of Religious Liberty in Virginia -- 5. The Meaning of Religious Liberty in the Other Southern States -- 6. The Meaning of Religious Liberty in the Middle States -- 7. The Meaning of Religious Liberty in the New England States -- 8. Initial Conclusion -- 9. The Constitutional Meaning of Religious Freedom: Part One -- 10. The Constitutional Meaning of Religious Freedom: Part Two -- 11. Final Conclusion

Creator