LAW 659 - Religion and American Law; A Contest of Values

Fall (2-3) Mark McGarvie

The United States is generally understood to have separated church and state through its First Amendment to the Constitution; but, the nation’s history belies this assumption. In this course, students will consider the history of Christian influences upon American law, from the colonial era to the present. Hopefully, students will form their own appreciations and understandings for both the role of law in shaping and adjudicating ideological debates and the limitations that competing cultural values impose upon the law. The classroom discussions will focus on weekly reading assignments offering a wide range of historical, legal, and cultural perspectives. Students will be evaluated on the basis of their participation in classroom discussions and a final paper. The final paper topic will be assigned on the first day of class and will be based entirely on materials used in the class. A different paper assignment is offered to students who take the class in fulfillment of the writing requirement. Two credit course; three credits if taken in fulfillment of writing requirement.