American Religious Freedom: Reflections on Koppelman and Smith

Abstract

Among contemporary scholars of American religious freedom, Andrew Koppelman and Steven Smith are two of the most esteemed. In their respective books -- Koppelman's "Defending American Religious Neutrality" (Harvard 2013) and Smith's "The Rise and Decline of American Religious Freedom" (Harvard 2014) -- they address a broad range of important issues.

Space limitations constrain me to be selective in this review essay. I comment here on what Koppelman and Smith say, and don’t say, about two of the most fundamental issues concerning American religious freedom: the meaning of the non-establishment norm and the constitutionality of granting conscience-protecting exemptions only to religious believers.