The Bill of Rights - Freedom of Religion (The Bill of Rights)

The cover of this entry in the Bill of Rights series--a picture of grade-school children praying at their desks--makes this book appear deceptively easy to read. In fact, the essays constituting the text are no way diluted for students. A series foreword discusses the Bill of Rights and the Supreme Court's responsibility to interpret them, and an introduction focuses on issues surrounding prayer in schools. The rest of the book is divided into chapters made up of short essays covering topics ranging from the early history of religious rights to the free-exercise clause and the Supreme Court. Various aspects of each topic are considered. For instance, in the chapter dealing with perspectives on religion in America, one writer discusses how the separation of church and state benefits religion, while another argues that the Supreme Court's decisions have been flawed. Notes on the origins of the Bill of Rights and a short survey of relevant Supreme Court decisions are appended. Straight text with no photographs marks this for serious students. Titles covering six of the 10 amendments comprising the Bill of Rights are now available.

Greenhaven Press's The Bill of Rights series explores the history of America's most cherished freedoms. Each anthology focuses on one of the liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and traces its evolution from America's founding to the present. Primary documents-including landmark Supreme Court rulings-reveal the ongoing effort to define the exact meaning of the text and apply its abstract concepts to real-world cases. Secondary sources, including magazine articles and book excerpts, add an additional layer of analysis and commentary. An in-depth introduction provides essential context, while bibliographies facilitate further research. Each volume also includes an annotated table of contents, a comprehensive index, and an annotated list of relevant Supreme Court cases. Taken together, the volumes of the Bill of Rights series illuminate the defining ideals of American democracy.

Americans included a statement relating to religion in the First Amendment. Even though this statement is short, people have debated its meaning over the years. This volume explains the history of church/state relations, the establishment and free expression clauses contained in the statement, and arguments that have arisen over it. Explains the history of church-state relations, the establishment and free expression clauses contained in the 1st Amendment, and arguments that have arisen over it