ABSTRACT
Religion is a powerful force in American politics. From the time of the American Revolution and the framing of the Constitution to the present day, religious faith has animated the public conversation about all manner of governmental policy (Lambert 2010). Nowhere have the questions about the role of religion in public life assumed greater prominence than in the debates about the meaning of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The constitutional prohibition against governmental endorsement of religion has influenced the consideration of any number of issues, including abortion and contraception, gay marriage, school vouchers, the teaching of evolution, and medical research on AIDS and stem cells.
