All Americans; liberal or conservative; religious or not; can agree that religious freedom; anchored in conscience rights; is foundational to the U.S. democratic experiment. But what freedom of conscience means; what its scope and limits are; according to the Constitution—these are matters for heated debate. At a moment when such questions loom ever larger in the nation’s contentious politics and fraught policy-making process; this timely book offers invaluable historical; empirical; philosophical; and analytical insight into the American constitutional heritage of religious liberty. As the contributors to this interdisciplinary volume attest; understanding religious freedom demands taking multiple perspectives. The historians guide us through the legacy of religious freedom; from the nation’s founding and the rise of public education; through the waves of immigration that added successive layers of diversity to American society. The social scientists discuss the swift; striking effects of judicial decision making and the battles over free exercise in a complex; bureaucratic society. Advocates remind us of the tensions abiding in schools and other familiar institutions; and of the major role minorities play in shaping free exercise under our constitutional regime. And the jurists emphasize that this is a messy area of constitutional law. Their work brings out the conflicts inherent in interpreting the First Amendment—tensions between free exercise and disestablishment; between the legislative and judicial branches of government; and along the complex and ever-shifting boundaries of religion; state; and society. What emerges most clearly from these essays is how central religious liberty is to America’s civic fabric—and how; under increasing pressure from both religious and secular forces; this First Amendment freedom demands our full attention and understanding.
#2588867 in Books University of Oklahoma Press 2002-04-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.11 x 6.00l; 1.44 #File Name: 0806133996400 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great book - but has a wrong and misleading title!By KobaThis book analyzes the war in northern Germany (chiefly Prussia) in the wake of Napoleon's disastrous retreat from Russia in 1812. The principal focus is on Prussia's effort; as a coalition partner; to defend Berlin against a French offensive in 1813. The book is chiefly written from a Prussian perspective. It covers Prussian internal politics; the mobilization of the Prussian Army; Prussian logistics; and the politics of Prussian military cooperation with the Russians and the Swedes under Bernadotte. The French are discussed to a far lesser degree; and they did not fight this campaign under Napoleon himself; but under Marshals Oudinot and Ney. For that reason; the book should not have been called "Napoleon and Berlin". If anything; it should have been called "Von Bülow and Berlin" - because Friedrich von Bülow led the Prussian force defending Berlin - or "Prussia Reborn" or "The War of Prussian Liberation"; or something like that. In any event; I have no complaints about the analysis in the book; which I find excellent and convincing. I also emerged with a profound contempt for the loathsome; treacherous schemer Bernadotte.This book very easy to read and is a must for anyone interested in the Napoleonic Era.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Maps are one requirement and there are plenty of good maps on hand – some are taken from older ...By Larry CaseyIn general I found Napoleon and Berlin met or exceeded my expectations. There are several things I look for in a book on military history. Maps are one requirement and there are plenty of good maps on hand – some are taken from older historical texts and are a bit hard to read but overall there are more than enough to help the narrative along. Another thing I look for are the references/bibliography and footnotes. Here again there is a fine set of notes with an extensive bibliography. These are two big pluses.There are two other items that I wish were included – a set of Order of Battles to cover the various organizations mentioned in the text and a timeline. Both are not present but are not necessary to the flow of the text and the points the author is making.Campaigns and battles do not occur in a vacuum. Too often space and time limit the narrative and force “minor†events to the sidelines where they are ignored or only summarized. A really good history will focus on the oft ignored and present a fresh new look at events. Napoleon and Berlin does just that and this elevates the book to its 5 star rating.I won’t go into the details but I will say this is a look at part of the 1813 War of the 6th Coalition that has been ignored for a long time. You will get to see how Prussia transitioned into war and the difficulties of mobilizing the Army; Landwehr and the Reserves. Also presented are the French actions to seize Berlin and the problems the various allied commands had working together.I was pleased with the book – it nicely fills a gap in the published information covering the 1813 campaigns in Germany.
