Religion 225RP - Religion/Politics in the U.S.

To be sure, the First Amendment's 'religion clauses,' and the almost two and a half centuries of court interpretations and public debates that have followed their ratification in 1791, are central to the history of religion and politics in America. Yet this history goes well beyond the often-contentious fights over the meaning and limits to constitutionally-guaranteed religious liberty. Considering this fraught history, key questions include: Why does religion enjoy special protection in American law? How has religion served to promote or prevent persecution, conflict, and violence? What role has religion played in the shaping of the politics of gender, race, and class? How has the U.S. dealt with religious diversity?