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CS92PROD
Religion and Law in the United States
RELI 484
Spring 2012
Section: 01  

This course addresses the complex and continually contested relationship between law and religion in the United States. The course will include three main components: (1) a historical overview that examines how this relationship has changed over time, starting with the colonial period; (2) a study of varied theoretical approaches from the fields of religious studies and law and society on subjects such as the boundaries of state power, what counts as religion, and how state actors (judicial and legislative bodies) have justified legal decisions regarding religious practices and identities; and (3) an analysis of significant Supreme Court decisions pertaining to religion and law but also related to intersecting issues of race, gender, and homosexuality. Among other topics, we will discuss the criminalization of religious practices such as peyote consumption and snake handling and civil rights protection for religious groups such as the Supreme Court's decision to grant race-based rights to Jews.

Essential Capabilities: Interpretation, Speaking
Students will learn how to interpret legal cases and to discuss them in class along with theoretical texts and other scholarship.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS RELI
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: (RELI)
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on NOV-25-2024
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