PSCI4250 - Law, Religion, and Politics

Law, Religion, and Politics addresses the contemporary interplay between government, religion, and politics with focus on the legislative and Supreme Court forces that are re-defining the free exercise of religion and the separation of church and state. Due to the rise in statutory, extreme religious liberty statutes at the federal and state levels, the drive to establish "religious autonomy," and the concomitant push to undermine the separation of church and state, the balance of power between religion, government, and the people has shifted dramatically. The seminar will survey the leading Supreme Court cases and then be organized around specific contemporary issues including abortion and contraception, vaccination and healthcare, discrimination against LGBTQ couples and individuals, discrimination against church employees, and clergy sex abuse.