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.

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