“Introduction to the 200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh: Law, Religion, and Native American Lands Series” by Philip P. Arnold, Sandra L. Bigtree, and Adam DJ Brett

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Introduction As historians of religions, we are interested in myths, history, and creation narratives. The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Johnson v. M’Intosh (1823) includes all these elements. The Johnson decision illustrates one of the powerful ways in which Christianity has played a hegemonic role within American law and culture at the expense of…

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“SCOTUS Religion Cases: A New Online Database for Scholars of Law and Religion” by Justin Latterell and Rachel Kennedy

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The newest edition of Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment is supplemented by a powerful new research tool: SCOTUSreligioncases.org.  Building a free online database of First Amendment religion cases I first encountered Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment in 2006. Then in its second edition, John Witte’s book was a careful study of the history…

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“The End of Conviction and Possible Beginnings for Criminal Law and Religion” by Matthew P. Cavedon

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“The End of Conviction and Possible Beginnings for Criminal Law and Religion” Matthew P. Cavedon Conviction began just about a year ago and is now coming to an end. The premise for this series was that the intersection of criminal law and religion is an interesting, crowded place. Historically, religion had, and continues to have,…

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Top Ten Most Read Articles of 2020

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A selection of our most popular essays over the past year. You can browse all of our content here! “Decisions You Have Never Made Before: Medical Improvisations in a COVID ICU” by AnonymousApril 16, 2020 “Defiant Congregations in a Pandemic: Public Safety Precedes Religious Rights” by Robin Fretwell Wilson, Brian A. Smith, and Tanner J. BeanMarch 3,…

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“Precedent in Doubt?: Brown v. Board of Education in Recent Judicial Confirmations” by M. Christian Green

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Cover Image: Little Rock Nine Memorial. Little Rock, AR. Wikimedia Commons. We have witnessed a curious pattern emerging in many recent confirmation hearings for federal judicial nominees. Beginning first with the Senate confirmation hearings of nominee Wendy Vitter, recently appointed to a federal judgeship in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of…

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“Spiritual Influences on the Law” by Rafael Domingo

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While often viewed as opposing forces, law and spirituality are deeply connected.  In this and other essays in this series, we explore some of the connections between legal and spiritual dimensions of human experience. Here, we note that spirituality can push legal systems to change; indeed, history suggests that legal systems evolve through spiritualization in…

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