Should the wall of separation between church and state be permeable or inviolable? This question has been hotly contested since the nation's founding and contentious debates persist today. With a collection of the most significant documents and an introduction by Clarke E. Cochran that provides the historical context of the debate, prominent scholars Mary Segers and Ted Jelen debate the impact of organized religion on the democratic process, examine its influence on political discourse, and discuss its significance for the creation of public policy. The authors illuminate the constitutional implications of using religion to cultivate public morality and discuss the complexities of creating a civic-minded citizenry in a pluralistic society.

Chapter 1 Introduction Part 2 Part I. Debating the Public Role of Religion Chapter 3 In Defense of Religious Minimalism Chapter 4 In Defense of Religious Freedom Chapter 5 Selected Bibliography Part 6 Part II. Readings Chapter 7 Thomas Jefferson, Reply to the Danbury Baptist Association, January 1, 1802 Chapter 8 Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1781-1782 Chapter 9 Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Statute of Religious Liberty, 1786 Chapter 10 James Madison, A Memorial and Remonstrance on the Religious Rights of Man, 1784 Chapter 11 U.S. Constitution, First Amendment, 1791 Chapter 12 U.S. Constitution, Article VI, 1787 Chapter 13 John F. Kennedy, Remarks on Church and State, Address Delivered to the Greater Houston Ministeria Chapter 14 Mario M. Cuomo, Religious Belief and Public Morality: A Catholic Governor's Perspective, Addres Chapter 15 Selected Supreme Court Cases: Everson v. Board of Education of Ewing Township, 330 U.S. 1 (1947) Chapter 16 Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971) Chapter 17 Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990) Chapter 18 Index Chapter 19 About the Authors