Religion and the State in American Law provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of religion and government in the United States, from historical origins to modern laws and rulings. In addition to extensive coverage of the religion clauses of the First Amendment, it addresses many statutory, regulatory, and common-law developments at both the federal and state levels. Topics include the history of church-state relations and religious liberty, religion in the classroom, and expressions of religion in government. This book also covers the role of religion in specific areas of law such as contracts, taxation, employment, land use regulation, torts, criminal law, and domestic relations as well as in specialized contexts such as prisons and the military. Accessible to the general as well as the professional reader, this book will be of use to scholars, judges, practicing lawyers, and the media.

Religion and the State in American Law

Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

Michigan State University

Frank S. Ravitch is Professor of Law and Walter H. Stowers Chair in Law in Religion at the Michigan State University College of Law. He also directs the Kyoto Japan Program. He is the author of Freedom’s Edge: Religious Freedom, Sexual Freedom, and the Future of America (Cambridge University Press, 2016) (Nominated for a Prose Award); Marketing Creation: The Law and Intelligent Design (Cambridge University Press 2012), Masters of Illusion: The Supreme Court and the Religion Clauses (NYU Press 2007); Law and Religion: Cases, Materials, and Readings (West 2004) (2nd Ed. 2008) (3rd Ed. 2015 with Larry Cata Backer), School Prayer and Discrimination: The Civil Rights of Religious Minorities and Dissenters (Northeastern University Press, 1999 & paperback edition 2001). He is co-author, with the late Boris Bittker and with Scott Idleman, of the first comprehensive treatise on Law and Religion in more than one hundred years, Religion and the State in American Law (Cambridge University Press 2015) (this project was supported by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment). He is also co-author, with Colin Jones, of, The Japanese Legal System (West Hornbook Series), and Employment Discrimination Law (Prentice Hall, 2005) (with Pamela Sumners and Janis McDonald).

Professor Ravitch's articles, which have appeared in a number of highly regarded journals, have primarily focused on law and religion in the U.S. and Japan, but he has also written about civil rights law and disability discrimination. He has authored a number of amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and has given numerous academic presentations nationally and internationally. In 2001, he was named a Fulbright scholar and served on the law faculty at Doshisha University (Japan). He has also made dozens of public presentations explaining the law before school groups, community groups, and service clubs and has served as an expert commentator for print and broadcast media.

Professor Ravitch teaches Torts I, Law and Religion, and Law and Interpretation. He speaks English, Japanese and Hebrew.

First Amendment

Religious Freedom

Constitutional Law

Law and Religion

Religion and Law

Japanese Constitutional Law

LGBT Rights

ResearchGate Citations

Freedom's Edge 

Religious, sexual freedoms subject of MSU law prof book

Professor of law and the Walter H. Stowers Chair of Law and Religion

Professor of Law and Religion Frank Ravitch of Michigan State University's College of Law illuminates the free speech Constitutional issues in Snyder vs Phelps, the case involving the Westboro Baptist Church's right to protest at military funerals. Ravitch was part of a panel discussion at the law school that also included Margie Phelps, who argued for the WBC family in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Frank Ravitch debates free speech &amp; Westboro Baptist Church at MSU

In this follow-up interview IAFOR Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences (ACP) Conference Co-Chair Prof. Dexter Da Silva speaks with Prof. Frank S. Ravitch of Michigan State University College of Law and further explores the issues and challenges surrounding the Japanese Constitution and also discusses with Prof. Ravitch his increasing involvement with IAFOR and our academic conferences.

Frank S. Ravitch is Professor of Law and the Walter H. Stowers Chair in Law and Religion at the Michigan State University College of Law, and Director of the Kyoto, Japan Summer Program. He is the author of several books: Marketing Intelligent Design: Law And The Creationist Agenda (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2011); Masters Of Illusion: The Supreme CourtAndThe Religion Clauses (NYU Press 2007);LawAnd Religion,A Reader:Cases,Concepts,AndTheory,2nd Ed. (West 2008) (First Ed. 2004); Employment Discrimination Law (Prentice Hall 2005) (with Pamela Sumners and Janis McDonald); and School Prayer And Discrimination:The Civil Rights Of Religious Minorities And Dissenters (Northeastern University Press, 1999 & paperback edition 2001). Professor Ravitch has also published a number of law review articles addressing U.S. and Japanese constitutional law, law & religion, and civil rights law in leading journals. Moreover, he has written a number of amicus briefs addressing constitutional issues to the United States Supreme Court.

Prof. Ravitch was a Featured Presenter at The Asian Conference on Ethics, Religion & Philosophy 2015 (ACERP2015) in Osaka, Japan where he presented on Japanese constitutional revision. To watch Prof. Ravitch's Keynote Presentation, "Constitutional Revision in Japan: The Risks for Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech", please visit:

http://iafor.org/constitutional-revision-in-japan-prof-ravitch/

For more information please visit our website:

www.iafor.org

Revisions to the Japanese Constitution with Prof. Frank S. Ravitch, MSU Law

Recent events in the United States have resulted in a national debate pitting religious freedom against the civil rights and civil liberties of the LGBT community. This controversy follows closely on the heels of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which set off a firestorm over the balance between reproductive rights and religious freedom. Both conservatives and progressives have raised the level of hysteria. The media has been happy to oblige. Television and radio news programs, newspapers, magazines and the blogosphere are filled daily with reports of discrimination by one or both sides. We have entered a new battle in the culture wars. Of course, the framing of this controversy ignores one central fact: religious freedom and strong civil rights for all can coexist when properly understood. The stakes are high. For one side fundamental justice and human rights are involved. For the other fundamental justice and civil liberties are involved. Professor Frank S. Ravitch asserts that this supposed conflict has a resolution, and in fact, in most situations the conflict has been manufactured by partisans on each side of the culture wars. This presentation provides an accessible and clear roadmap to the issues involved in this debate, and a clear path for balancing religious freedom and sexual freedom. Coexistence is possible, and it is necessary for the survival of America as a nation of freedom for all and can provide an example for other nations facing similar issues.

Prof. Ravitch was a Keynote Speaker at IAFOR's Asian Conference of Ethics, Religion & Philosophy 2016 (ACERP2016) in Kobe, Japan.

Prof. Ravitch’s career has included experience in private practice and on Capitol Hill. Since joining Michigan State University’s Law College he has authored several books, and a number of law review articles, essays, book reviews, and book chapters, as well as amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

For more information on Prof. Ravtich and IAFOR please visit:

http://iafor.org/

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