One Nation Under Law by Mark Douglas McGarvie - 9780875803333

One Nation Under LawAmerica's Early National Struggles to Separate Church and State\nAuthor(s): Mark Douglas McGarvie\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Cornell University Press, United States\nImprint: Northern Illinois University Press\nISBN-13: 9780875803333, 978-0875803333\nSynopsis\nThe United States' commitment to separation of church and state has defined the nation, from the structure of the schools and the welfare system to the nature of American politics and society. Many citizens mistakenly point to the First Amendment, which guarantees the freedom of religious practice, as the origin of this separation. Indeed, the Bill of Rights represents a crucial step toward the division of religious institutions from the affairs of the government. Yet, from the days of the early republic, the separation of church and state came about slowly, amid contentious legal, intellectual, and religious debates.\n\n In this timely study, Mark McGarvie documents America's transition from Christian co.