Secular Government Religious People

The field of church and state in America is stuck in an unproductive debate about competing rights. One side emphasizes the right to be free of government-sponsored religion, such as prayer at public ceremonies. In contrast, the other side emphasizes people’s right to express their religious character and beliefs, sometimes even through government.Secular Government, Religious People breaks free of this trap. Ira Lupu and Robert Tuttle present an original theory that makes the secular character of American government, rather than a set of individual rights, the centerpiece of religious liberty in the United States. Through a comprehensive treatment of relevant constitutional themes and through their attention to both historical concerns and contemporary controversies — including issues often in today’s news — Lupu and Tuttle define and defend the secular character of U.S. government.