Preface
Religious freedom is a fundamental principle of the American
Constitution and a guiding value for American politics. It has
not, however, always been a clear principle easily understood
and applied in the day-to-day life of the American polity. Just
what precisely freedom of religion and freedom from religion
mean, what is entailed in these two clauses of the First Amend-
ment, have been questions engendering a perennial struggle
in American politics and throughout American history. It is
a cliché, but nonetheless true, that America is a nation of im-
migrants. Th e tens of millions of immigrants who came, and
are still coming annually to America for permanent resettle-
ment, brought with them a bewildering array of religious be-
liefs, practices, and ethno-religious organizations. Th e diversity
of religious affi liation in the United States exceeds that of any
other nation. With that diversity, however, has come a struggle
to get along. Religious minority groups have often experienced
prejudice and discrimination and sometimes outright suppres-
sion. Oppression and violence against minority religions, in an
often futile attempt to force them to conform to the majority’s
religious beliefs and practices, have often occurred in America’s
past, are evident in its politics today, and unquestionably will
be the case in the future.
Th e value of religious freedom is enshrined in several key
founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the
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Religious freedom is a fundamental principle of the American
Constitution and a guiding value for American politics. It has
not, however, always been a clear principle easily understood
and applied in the day-to-day life of the American polity. Just
what precisely freedom of religion and freedom from religion
mean, what is entailed in these two clauses of the First Amend-
ment, have been questions engendering a perennial struggle
in American politics and throughout American history. It is
a cliché, but nonetheless true, that America is a nation of im-
migrants. Th e tens of millions of immigrants who came, and
are still coming annually to America for permanent resettle-
ment, brought with them a bewildering array of religious be-
liefs, practices, and ethno-religious organizations. Th e diversity
of religious affi liation in the United States exceeds that of any
other nation. With that diversity, however, has come a struggle
to get along. Religious minority groups have often experienced
prejudice and discrimination and sometimes outright suppres-
sion. Oppression and violence against minority religions, in an
often futile attempt to force them to conform to the majority’s
religious beliefs and practices, have often occurred in America’s
past, are evident in its politics today, and unquestionably will
be the case in the future.
Th e value of religious freedom is enshrined in several key
founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the
xv
