Constitution of Religious Freedom
God, Politics & the First Amendment

The founding fathers' words, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof", are the constitutional means of ensuring, however imperfectly, the American freedom to stand for something sacred. This book relocates religious identity, placing it within the individual citizen of America.

In a time when the question of American religious identity underlies much political conversation that fills the public square, Dennis Goldford directs his readers to consider the First Amendment. The founding fathers' words, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof", are the constitutional means of ensuring, however imperfectly, the American freedom to stand for something sacred. In his analysis, Goldford ably demonstrates that the very nature of these religion clauses establishes protection not for 'religion' but for 'religious freedom'. This book relocates religious identity, moving it from the nation - and the ideals of its founders - and placing it within the individual citizen.

Introduction
Constitutional Fundamentals
Religious Minorities, Religious Freedom, &
Religion
Conventional vs. Radical Establishment Clause Jurisprudence
Orthodoxy &
Neutrality
The Concept of Coercion in Establishment Clause Jurisprudence
The Nonestablishment Principle
Secularity &
Coercion
Conclusion.