Religion, Law, USA - (North American Religions) by Isaac Weiner & Joshua Dubler (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Offers insight into the complex relationship between religion and law in contemporary America

Why religion? Why law? Why now? In recent years, the United States has witnessed a number of high-profile court cases involving religion, forcing Americans to grapple with questions regarding the relationship between religion and law. This volume maps the contemporary interplay of religion and law within the study of American religions.

What rights are protected by the Constitution's free exercise clause? What are the boundaries of religion, and what is the constitutional basis for protecting some religious beliefs but not others? What characterizes a religious-studies approach to religion and law today? What is gained by approaching law from the vantage point of religious studies, and what does attention to the law offer back to scholars of religion? Religion, Law, USA considers all these questions and more.

Each chapter considers a specific keyword in the study of religion and law, such as "conscience," "establishment," "secularity," and "personhood." Contributors consider specific case studies related to each term, and then expand their analyses to discuss broader implications for the practice and study of American religion. Incorporating pieces from leading voices in the field, this book is an indispensable addition to the scholarship on religion and law in America.

Review Quotes

"Religion, Law, USA, edited by Joshua Dubler and Isaac Weiner, explores various terms associated with law and religion...the inquiry has been fruitful...The discussion is detailed and helpful."--Luke C. Sheahan - Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA "Journal of Church and State"

"Essential reading for scholars of new and alternative religious movements because the book provides concrete examples of people and groups who do not conform to white Protestant norms. It describes their struggle under the burdens that come as a result of the ways in which religion and law are adjudicated in the United States. The reviewer highly recommends the book to religion scholars in general, legal scholars, as well as graduate students in those fields."-- "Nova Religio"

"Here, we finally have a thoroughly interdisciplinary text that relies on case studies to (1) illustrate significant theoretical insights, and (2) model future work in American religious studies."-- "Reading Religion"

"This artfully constructed, richly complex collection does an excellent job of examining the persistent disconnect between scholarly understanding of religion and court cases involving religion."-- "Choice"

About the Author

Isaac Weiner (Editor)
Isaac Weiner is Associate Professor of Comparative Studies at Ohio State University and author of Religion Out Loud: Religious Sound, Public Space, and American Pluralism (NYU Press, 2014)

Joshua Dubler (Editor)
Joshua Dubler is Associate Professor of Religion at University of Rochester. He is author of Down in the Chapel: Religious Life in an American Prison (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013), coauthor of Break Every Yoke: Religion, Justice, and the Abolition of Prisons (Oxford, 2019); and coeditor of Religion, Law, USA (NYU Press, 2019).