Journal Discusses Religion Clauses in First Amendment

WACO, Texas - In the most recent edition of the Journal of Church and State, Dr. Derek Davis, director of The J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies and associate professor of political science at Baylor University, comments on the conflict between the First Amendment's two provisions on religion: the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause.
According to Davis, one clause expresses a tradition of freedom from religion, the other of freedom of religion. The Establishment Clause prohibits government from advancing or endorsing religion, while the Free Exercise Clause prohibits government from placing restraints on the free exercise of religion.
Davis explains that this basic conflict is present in most cases involving church-state controversies. The category of cases in which conflict between the religion clauses is most evident involves special exemptions for religious groups or for certain kinds of religiously motivated conduct. Davis' essay addresses those church-state controversies in which the conflict is most present.
Other articles in the spring issue of the Journal of Church and State include "The Constitution's Forgotten Religion Clause: Reflections on the Article VI Religious Test Ban" by Daniel L. Dreisbach; "Stephen Carter, the Christian Coalition, and the Civil Rights Analogy," by David McKenzie; "Apartheid Theology: A 'Contextual' Theology Gone Wrong?" by J. A. Loubser; and "Selective Conscientious Objection in the United States" by Joseph E. Capizzi.
The journal also includes the articles "The Popes and Nazi Germany: The View from Madrid" by José M. Sánchez; "The Power of the Familiar: Everyday Practices in the Anglican Church of Kenya" by Galia Sabar Freidman; and "Is a Page of History Worth a Volume of Logic?" by Haig Bosmajian.
The journal contains more than 25 different book reviews and a calendar of events of interest to church-state scholars and others. The Journal of Church and State is published four times a year by The J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor.
For more information, call Davis at (817) 755-1510.