That Godless Court?: Supreme Court Decisions on Church-State Relationships

by Ronald B. Flowers

The religion clause of the First Amendment, seemingly simple and clear, has been and continues to be controversial in its application. In this introduction to church-state questions, Ronald Flowers discusses the relationship between religion and government as reflected in the decisions of the Supreme Court. This book is at once an explanation of what the Court has done over the years in the highly volatile area of church-state decisions and a strong argument for the care and nurturing of religious freedom. It is an ideal primer for clergy and laypeople who need to know what the Supreme Court has and has not said about the relationship between church and state and what is and is not permissible. Specific topics covered in this book include government aid to church-related schools, prayer in public schools, church property, workplace issues, and taxation.

Genres: Politics

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 1994

About the author

Dr. Ronald B. Flowers earned a bachelor’s degree from TCU in 1957. From there he went on to Vanderbilt University, where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology in 1960 and 1961, respectively. He completed a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa in 1967.
Dr. Flowers ministered briefly at a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
in Crofton Kentucky in the early 1960s. He began his teaching career in the religion department at Texas Christian University in 1966 and retired in 2002. He served as department chair for nine years. During his time at TCU, he received numerous teaching awards, including the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1998. Dr. Flowers was a highly productive scholar, and established himself as a major authority on U. S. Supreme Court church-state cases. He authored Toward Benevolent Neutrality: Church, State, and the Supreme Court and To Defend the Constitution: Religion, Conscientious Objection, Naturalization, and the Supreme Court, among other books, articles, and book reviews.

Reviews

[Andrew McClary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I bought not knowing it was a textbook The Godless Court proved far more readable than most textbooks with detailed but not complicated material and even the occasional humor. The last chapter does drag with mostly repeated ideas and it’s age showing the most of any chapter but overall proves to be useful and interesting.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting material to read, required from one of my religious class to do so. There are so many cases that support his views and it is kind of shocking of how government has become so controlling throughout time.

[Adam Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the textbooks in a civics course.

[Dane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative.