Scholarly Citations

Religious Liberty in America has been cited or quoted in the following scholarly publications and articles:

Charitable giving and the law
Brigham Young University Law Professor Brett Scharffs cites Religious Liberty in America in his article, “Volunteerism, Charitable Giving, and Religion: The U.S. Example,” in the Review of Faith & International Affairs (Vol. 7, No. 3, Fall 2009). Scharffs discusses how the structure of U.S. law fosters charitable giving; and how religious organizations are a focal point for philanthropy in America.

Law journals

‘Originalism a weak foundation for viewing religious liberty’
UC Davis Law Professor Alan Brownstein quotes Religious Liberty in America in his discussion of problems with the "originalist" approach to interpreting the Religious Liberty Clauses of the First Amendment. Originalism seeks to discover the original intent of the Framers and the historical conditions under which the Constitution was drafted; and then interpret modern cases according to these “original” principles. Brownstein notes that when the Constitution was drafted, “the polity was all but exclusively monotheistic, almost universally Christian, and overwhelmingly Protestant,” citing Chapter 1 of Religious Liberty in America. Chapter 7 discusses originalism as it is held by Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. (The Cardozo Law Review, 2009, pg. 206.)

‘Free Exorcise Clause: Can Exorcism Survive America’s New Neutrality?’
Cynthia Koploy cites Religious Liberty in America in a forthcoming Northwestern University Law Review article dealing with the Free Exercise Clause and religious practices that can be considered extreme, such as exorcism. Koploy cites Religious Liberty in America in the context of her discussion of the 1878 polygamy case, Reynolds v. United States, in which the Supreme Court first differentiated between religious belief and religious action. She also cites the book in her discussion of Employment Division v. Smith – which set a “new neutrality” standard with regard to generally applicable state laws that impinge on certain religious practices, such as the sacramental use of illegal drugs.

‘What Would the Founding Fathers Do?’
Susan Henderson-Utis cites Religious Liberty in America in her Howard Law Journal article, “What Would the Founding Fathers Do? The Rise of Religious Programs in the United States Prison System.” Henderson-Utis notes the influence of the philosopher Montesquieu on the Founding Fathers, citing Chapter 3 of Religious Liberty in America. Chapter 6 discusses prison ministries in the context of faith-based initiatives. (Howard Law Journal, Winter, 2009, pg. 463.)

The Journal of American History
Religious Liberty in America is noted in the journal's list of “recent scholarship.”

Book reviews focusing on the law

More news on Religious Liberty in America

University of Massachusetts Press news
UMass Press books in the news

St. Cloud University News
Religious Liberty in America is one of about 700 books honored from a pool of about 7,000 books reviewed by the library journal.

Freedom of conscience, anti-censorship
The File Room lists Religious Liberty in America in its bibliography of anti-censorship resources. The File Room is hosted and maintained by the National Coalition Against Censorship.

Reviews of Religious Liberty in America

“By looking at the over 200-year history of the First Amendment and attempting to ‘distill the volumes of debate, background and case law into seven chapters,’ Murray presents an especially helpful depiction for his intended audience of students, journalists and general readers.”
—Brandon M. Crowe, Ph.D., School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Arizona State University
(from Reviews in Religion & Theology, History and Sociology of Religion, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Vol. 17, Issue 2, 2010)

See more reviews here.

Criticism