Religious Exemptions From the Founding to Today

The Supreme Court today continues to vigorously debate the scope of religious exemptions—which allow individuals or organizations to be exempt from following certain laws that they say burden their religious beliefs—in high-profile cases such as Fulton v. City of Philadelphia (2021). This episode dives into the current and historic debates over religious exemptions in a panel featuring Douglas Laycock, author of the five-volume series The Collected Works on Religious Liberty; Vincent Phillip Muñoz, author of God and the Founders; and Kathleen Brady, author of The Distinctiveness of Religion in American Law. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program is presented in partnership with the University of Notre Dame's Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government. Check out additional programming about religious exemptions at https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/media-library?amendment=14909 and below: We the People episode, "The Future of Church and State at SCOTUS" https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/podcast/the-future-of-church-and-state-at-scotus On Fulton v. City of Philadelphia (2021): We the People episode, "Religious Groups, Foster Care, and the First Amendment" https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/podcast/the-future-of-church-and-state-at-scotus Additional resources and transcript available in our Media Library at constitutioncenter.org/constitution. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at [email protected].