When Religious and Secular Interests Collide: Faith, Law, and the Religious Exemption Debate

by Scott A. Merriman

Overview

This book examines the countervailing arguments in the religious exemption debate and explains why this issue continues to be so heated and controversial in modern-day America.

Can religion be used to legalize discrimination? When does religion exclude a person or corporation from having to follow a federal or state law, and does our government automatically favor one faith over another when allowing such exemptions? How "religious" must an activity be to qualify as exempt? These are just a few of the difficult questions addressed in When Religious and Secular Interests Collide: Faith, Law, and the Religious Exemption Debate, one of the most modern resources for looking at religion and the law, both historically and in the present. This book enables readers to fully comprehend this important multifaceted issue that continues to be contested in our courts, legislatures, hearts, and minds.

Readers will gain vital historical background about this battleground topic of academic and public interest, see how the contentious issue has changed in the past, and learn about recent developments, including the controversies surrounding religious exemption laws passed in Arkansas and Indiana in 2015. They will also glean knowledge to evaluate claims made about the First Amendment and equal rights and reach their own educated opinions on the subject. Additionally, the work includes primary source documents such as excerpts of important Supreme Court decisions accompanied by insightful analysis of how the religious exemption issue surfaced in modern American culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440847073
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/15/2017
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Scott A. Merriman is a lecturer in history at Troy University, USA. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including Religion and the Law in America: An Encyclopedia of Personal Belief and Public Policy (ABC-CLIO/Bloomsbury, 2007).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The Founding Generation 17

Chapter 2 Freedom from Religion 37

Chapter 3 Religious Exemptions from the Gilded Age through the 1920s 57

Chapter 4 Sherbert and Yoder 75

Chapter 5 Smith, RFRA, and Its Limitations (1980-1995) 97

Chapter 6 From RFRA to Hobby Lobby 119

Chapter 7 Marriage Equality and Beyond 135

Conclusion A Necessary Balance 157

Notes 175

Select Bibliography 181

Index 191

About the Author 199

What People are Saying About This

Dr. Mitchell Newton-Matza

"Scott Merriman addresses a very important part of history that has significance in modern times. In his examination of religious exemption Merriman makes a good argument as to which religion is more prominent than others, and how people choose to use their beliefs as a way to promote their own agenda. This is an important work that will challenge the reader as to the fine line between religion and the law."

Editorial Reviews

Scott Merriman addresses a very important part of history that has significance in modern times. In his examination of religious exemption Merriman makes a good argument as to which religion is more prominent than others, and how people choose to use their beliefs as a way to promote their own agenda. This is an important work that will challenge the reader as to the fine line between religion and the law.” —Mitchell Newton-Matza, Author and Independent Scholar, USA

From the Publisher