Title
The Bible in the Park: Federal District Courts, Religious Speech, and the Public Forum
Files
Description
John Blakeman’s The Bible in the Park is an in-depth study of federal district court policymaking and litigation trends in First Amendment cases concerning religious speech and expression in public places. District courts play an important policymaking role in the federal judicial system, and Blakeman’s book contributes to our understanding of that role, especially in the context of religious liberty and free speech disputes. As the courts of first instance in the federal judicial system, district courts are charged with interpreting and applying First Amendment law at the trial level.
“Blakeman explores the delicate intersection between the Establishment Clause law and First Amendment rights to political speech in public places. By focusing on cases decided by federal district courts, he turns our attention away from doctrines and principles eminating from appellate courts, and to the concrete and very local situations in which these controversies arise. His careful attention to data about who brings cases, against whom they are brought, the venues of conflict, and the role of judges taught me a great deal about law, politics and religion in the United States, and will change the way I teach these topics in the future.” —Bette Novit Evans, associate professor of political science, Creighton University
ISBN
978-1-931968-13-3
Publication Date
Winter 2-1-2005
Publisher
University of Akron Press
City
Akron, OH
Keywords
Religion, Law, First Amendment
Disciplines
Constitutional Law
Recommended Citation
Blakeman, John, "The Bible in the Park: Federal District Courts, Religious Speech, and the Public Forum" (2005). University of Akron Press Publications. 91.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/uapress_publications/91