This Week in Religion - The new lines around ‘church and state’

Lead story

How Jefferson and Madison's partnership – a friendship told in letters – shaped America's separation of church and state

Editor's note:

Several states are testing boundaries between religion and government – including Oklahoma, whose superintendent recently ordered public schools to teach the Bible.

The First Amendment forbids Congress from making laws “respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Traditionally, most scholars interpreted that to mean there must be a separation of church and state – helping to ensure religious freedom for all Americans, no matter their creed.

But the phrase “separation of church and state” doesn’t appear in the Constitution. It comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson – who, along with James Madison, strongly shaped American ideas about religious liberty. And in recent decades, the idea has come under increasing attack from politicians and activists eager to give Christianity a bigger role in government.

Law professor Steven Green pored through more than 2,000 letters between the two, trying to understand their views of religious freedom – and why they cared about it so much.

Meanwhile, Mark Satta, an expert on the First Amendment, breaks down precedent around using the Bible in school – and how Oklahoma’s mandate likely blurs the boundaries.

Forward this email to a friend

 

Religion News

Vatican will prepare a document on the role of women in leadership in the Catholic Church 

The Vatican’s doctrine office will prepare a document on women in leadership roles in the Catholic Church, in a new initiative to respond to longstanding demands by women to have a greater say in the church’s life. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press

The Washington insiders helping Sean Feucht spread Christian nationalism in Congress

'It is time in America that we take back territory,' Sean Feucht said in a video promoting his efforts to build a base on Capitol Hill. By Jack Jenkins/Religion News Service

Australia appoints special envoy to confront a rise in antisemitism across the country

The Australian government has named a special envoy to confront a rise in antisemitism across the country since the Israel-Hamas war began. A similar envoy will soon be appointed to challenge Islamophobia. By Rod McGuirk/The Associated Press

For Israel’s Reform Jews, no need to follow US peers in ordaining rabbis in interfaith marriages

'In America there is a high rate of interfaith marriages. Here, that issue is irrelevant to us,' said Nachman Shai, dean of the HUC-JIR Taube Family Campus in Jerusalem. By Michele Chabin/Religion News Service

Church bells speak again in Spain thanks to effort to recover the lost ‘language’ of ringing by hand 

A training course for adults interested in recovering the dying practice of manual church bell ringing has graduated its first class of pupils in northeast Spain. By Joseph Wilson/The Associated Press

 

Commentary and Analysis

Oklahoma's superintendent orders public schools to teach the Bible – relying on controversial views about religious freedom

State superintendent Ryan Walters has mandated that public school teachers incorporate the Bible into classroom lessons. By Mark Satta for The Conversation

Those Columbia deans deserved their removals. But what’s next?

The challenge of actually addressing the rise of antisemitism. By Mark Silk/Religion News Service

Hajj in extraordinary heat: what a scholar of Islam saw in Mecca

Despite reports of mismanagement, the 2024 Hajj brought together pilgrims of diverse backgrounds from 180 countries. By Ahmet T. Kuru for The Conversation

At the Olympics, athletes show guts, glory – and a lot of ink, including tattoos that profess their faith

One biblical verse bans tattoos, but the full story of Christianity's relationship with body modification is more complicated. By Gustavo Morello for The Conversation

 

Photos of the Week: Stampede in India, Bulgarian Patriarch

Newly elected Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil blesses the people during his enthronement ceremony at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Bulgaria's Orthodox Church on Sunday elected Daniil, a 52-year-old metropolitan considered to be pro-Russian, as its new leader in a disputed vote that reflects the divisions in the church and in the society. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)

Did a friend or colleague forward this to you? Click here to subscribe.

About the Global Religion Journalism Initiative

 

 

• This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
• The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
• The Associated Press Newsletter Hub
• Religion News Service newsletter sign-up page
• The Conversation U.S.'s daily and weekly newsletters