Synthesis and separation : theorizing religious dimensions of law in the United States

This thesis theorizes the interplay of religion and law in the United States. Employing language common to scholars of religion, a general theory of structure between religious worlds and legal worlds is postulated. Grounding this theory in the particulars of history, the predominant theologies and philosophies which informed the drafting of the United States Constitution are explored. Abstracts of five influential Supreme Court cases involving the free exercise of religion are offered to further historicize religious and legal contexts. It is then suggested that the opinions provided by Supreme Court Justices may be interpreted as a complex set of narratives. Viewed thus, they provide an incipient point-of-reference for scholarly examinations of the dynamics permeating religion and law in the United States.