This book offers an examination of the related topics of school prayer and character education in the United States, advocating for their return to public schools. In 1962 and 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court made rulings that removed prayer and Bible reading from public schools. But in the aftermath of the rulings, the nation endured one of the worst…

Controversial Supreme Court decisions have barred organized school prayer, but neither the Court nor public policy exclude religion from schools altogether. In this book, one of America's leading constitutional scholars asks what role religion ought to play in public schools. Kent Greenawalt explores many of the most divisive issues in educational…

The presidency of George W. Bush has polarized the church-state debate as never before. The Far Right has been emboldened to use religion to govern, while the Far Left has redoubled its efforts to evict religion from public life entirely. Fewer people on the Right seem to respect the church-state separation, and fewer people on the Left seem to…

When Congress adopted the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1789, it left open many questions that would arise concerning church-state relations. It became clear early in the history of the country that the Supreme Court would have a great impact on how the First Amendment would be upheld and interpreted. This book examines how Congress…

This document provides comprehensive analysis of new key developments in the law regarding the proper relationship between religion and public schools. There are 12 chapters: (1) "The First Amendment and Public Schools: Overview of the Religion Clauses" (John Walsh, Dorine Lawrence-Hughes, and Usi N. Botros); (2) "Prayer on Campus:…

This is a compilation of presentations delivered at the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys' Annual School Law Seminar: "From Vouchers to One Nation Under God: A Review of Recent Decisions Affecting the Separation of Church and State in the Context of Public Education" (Jay Worona); "ACLJ Memorandum:…

This book, an update of the 1988 edition, gives readers a basic grasp of the general legal principles controlling the role of religion in public education with the goal of applying those principles to typical church/state issues. Chapter 1 offers the background of general legal principles needed to understand specific church/state issues. Chapter…