Religion in the Law: An Open Access Casebook - First Edition

Reviewed by Jennifer Byrne, Professor, James Madison University on 11/27/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The breadth of this text is astounding in terms of the cases that are presented and covered. The book starts off with an overview of religion in the US and had a very useful section on how to read an opinion (and the relevant terminology, which functions a little like a glossary). It is always difficult to "edit" which cases should be included, and I think the author has done an excellent job in including a good variety. There is no glossary or index, but since it is a case book, the list of cases provides this function.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

From what I can tell, the opinions presented are the original wording, and the commentary that follows is useful and accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The case book includes classic or "landmark" decision in the area, and some notable recent opinions such as Snyder v. Phelps and Holt v. Hobbs. Given the Supreme Court's rulings in the last term, it will likely be updated soon with cases such as American Legion v. American Humanist Society and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. I like how it has an updated section on COVID-19, and think this is an example of how the author adds contemporary cases/issues that blend well with the overall text. Although COVID-19 is still considered a contemporary event, I think it is one that will remain important over time (not just trendy, or obsolete soon) and helps illustrate broader principles of constitutional law and Supreme Court decision making.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is written in an easy to understand, almost conversational, style. It should be very accessible to students at all levels. Terms are clearly defined. I like the way a concept is discussed across cases in the commentary, such as the Lemon Test.

Consistency rating: 5

The book follows a consistent framework and consistently discusses terminology across cases.

Modularity rating: 5

I think this book will easily break down into sections; the author does a great job of this in the table of contents. Even within sections, it would be easy for an instructor to assign a particular case or set of cases from the text as part of a particular class or lesson.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization is one of the strongest points of the book, and I am very enthusiastic about how the author breaks down cases into sections of constitutional law/topics.

Interface rating: 5

I had no issues with the interface; it is very user-friendly.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No major grammatical issues noted. Prose is clean, concise, and flows well.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The book takes a neutral position and present cases as written in their original form. The author encourages students to challenge what they read and not assume that everything is correct (thereby allowing students the space to form their own thoughts on these controversial issues, making them dynamic).

Comments

I particularly liked the way the author discussed individual justices in the commentary and how they voted in opinions. I also really liked the style in which the commentary was written, as it is seems to explain very challenging concepts to students in an accessible way. I will definitely use some sections of this text in my constitutional law class next semester.