Interpreting the Free Exercise of Religion - by Bette Novit Evans (Paperback)

About the Book

A generation ago, all of the big questions concerning religious freedom in America seemed to have been resolved. Since then, increasing religious diversity and changing functions of government have raised new questions about the free exercise of religion. In this book, Bette Novit Evans explores the contemporary understandings of this First Amendment guarantee in all of its complexity and ambiguity.

Book Synopsis

A generation ago, all of the big questions concerning religious freedom in America seemed to have been resolved. At the very least, the lines of division between proponents of a wall of separation between church and state and advocates of religious accommodation seemed clearly drawn. Since then, increasing religious diversity and changing functions of government have raised new questions about what it means to allow the free exercise of religion. In this book, Bette Novit Evans explores the contemporary understandings of this First Amendment guarantee in all of its complexity and ambiguity. Evans situates constitutional arguments about free exercise within the context of theological and sociological insights about American religious experience. She surveys and evaluates several of the most well considered approaches to religious freedom and applies them to contemporary legal controversies, examining problems in defining religion and claims concerning the autonomy of religious institutions. Her conclusions about religious liberty are embedded in an appreciation of American pluralism: the guarantee of religious freedom, she argues, can be understood as an instrument for fostering alternative sources of meaning within a pluralistic political community.

Review Quotes

"Interpreting the Free Exercise of Religion raises provocative questions, and those interested in how a secular government and multi-faith society can accommodate competing religious claims will doubtless find the book engaging." -- Free Inquiry

"A well-argued and civil contribution to the never-ending debate about religion and public life." -- First Things

"Evans examines the development of the Court's jurisprudence during the twentieth century and particularly during recent decades and demonstrates how difficult the task of constructing a uniform and consistent policy has proved to be. Her incisive and commanding analysis ends with a plea for a pluralist approach." -- American Studies

About the Author

Bette Novit Evans is associate professor of political science at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.