Exploring
Religion and the Constitution

         by Doug Linder (2021)

This site explores the history and interpretation of the First Amendment's Amendment's Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses. For materials on other topics related to the Constitution, visit Exploring Constitutional Law.

THE RELIGION CLAUSES

Religion and the Bill of Rights: Debates in
the First Congress

Introduction to the Establishment Clause

Prayer in the Public Schools

Vouchers & Other Aid to Religious Schools

The Evolution/Creationism Controversy

Theocracy Issues: Looking for Secular Purposes

Religious Symbols in Public Places

Student-Initiated Religious Speech

The Free Exercise Clause: Rise of the Compelling State Interest Test

The Free Exercise Clause: Narrowing of the Test

What does it mean to "target" a religion?

FREE SPEECH & RELIGION

Government-Compelled Speech

Speech Restrictions in the Traditional Public Forum

Speech Restrictions in the Limited Public Forum

Speech Restrictions in the Non-Public Forum

The Right Not to Associate

Gov't Speech & Conditions on Speech  Attached to Gov't Spending

To see a course syllabus, jump to: RELIGION & THE CONSTITUTION SYLLABUS.

(All teachers are welcome to adopt this material for their own courses. DL)
 

James Madison,
Drafter of the First Amendment


Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.


Send comments concerning this site to linderd@umkc.edu. 
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