Church & State 250: The Courtroom Fight Over Church and State

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected] happens when religious freedom becomes a legal tool for imposing religion on others? Andrew L. Seidel, constitutional attorney, author, and Vice President of Strategic Communications at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, joins Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram to explain how church-state law has shaped American public life. Seidel walks through the Establishment Clause, the Free Exercise Clause, Article VI’s ban on religious tests, and major Supreme Court cases including Everson, Brown v. Board, Lemon v. Kurtzman, Kennedy v. Bremerton, and Carson v. Makin. He argues that separation of church and state is larger than one clause in the First Amendment. It is woven through the Constitution’s structure and protects people of every faith and no faith. The conversation also explores public schools, vouchers, Christian nationalism, Leonard Leo’s influence on the courts, and why America’s 250th is a moment to defend religious liberty for everyone.Guest BioAndrew L. Seidel is a constitutional and civil rights attorney, author, and Vice President of Strategic Communications at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. His work focuses on religious freedom, church-state separation, Christian nationalism, and the way constitutional law affects public life. He is the author of The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American and American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom, and co-editor of Law and Religion: Cases and Materials. His legal and public writing helps explain how First Amendment law, religious liberty claims, public schools, and Supreme Court doctrine shape the rights of believers and nonbelievers alike.Book MentionedAmerican Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom by Andrew L. SeidelBookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781454943921Relevant Links & ResourcesAmericans United for Separation of Church and State - Andrew L. SeidelURL: https://www.au.org/about-au/people/andrew-l-seidel/ Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/Support the showKeep the conversation going.Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?Visit our website:faithfulpoliticspodcast.comBrowse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstoreSupport the show and help us keep these conversations going:patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPoliticsSubscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:faithfulpolitics.substack.comContact the hosts:Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected] Wright, Political Host: [email protected] Faithful Politics:Instagram: faithful_politicsFacebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast