For all modern man’s conceits to surpassing his forefathers in knowledge, he remains fascinated by walls and convinced of their necessity. It was with such conviction that the Supreme Court began in the middle of the 20th century to erect the most significant wall in American history, one standing between church and state.
Beginning with the 1947 decision in Everson v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court built the wall’s legal edifice to impressive heights. Through an expansive reinterpretation of the establishment clause, the court encircled the public square with a revised secular civic religion, the better to cut off any residual influence from its Christian forebearer.
Even the current court, though celebrated for some of its rulings favorable to religion’s free exercise, hesitates when deciding cases in the wall’s shadow. It opens gaps carefully…
