In comparing the ways in which China, Taiwan and Hong Kong punish religious claims and practices considered by the state to be false or fraudulent, Jianlin Chen presents a seminal contribution to the interdisciplinary study of religious freedom. The book not only reveals how these legal tools sustain a hierarchy of religion, but also the political dynamic behind the design and utilization of these legal tools.

Judicial decisions never occur in a vacuum û they are influenced by a myriad of political factors. From lawyers and interest groups, to the shifting sentiments of public opinion, to the ideological and behavioral inclinations of the justices, Epstein and Walker show how all these dynamics play an integral part in the overall development of constitutional doctrine. Drawing deeply from the spheres of political science and legal studies, the exceperted case material is skillfully analyzed and presented for todayÆs students. Known for fastidious revising and streamlining, the authors account for the latest scholarship in the field and offer rock-solid analysis of recent landmark cases, including as all the important opinions handed down through 2011. Building on the successes of the 7th edition, the bookÆs clean layout and design clearly distinguishes between commentary and opinion excerpts. Not only does the design make the book an easier read for students, it effectively showcases photos, justice biographies, and the ôAftermathö and ôGlobal Perspectiveö sidebars. And based on positive user feedback, the authors have added even more Aftermath boxes in this new edition. New cases in the 8th edition: Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2012) Snyder v. Phelps (2011) Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (2011) United States v. Jones (2012) Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

The growing presence in Western society of non-mainstream faiths and spiritual practices poses a dilemma for the law. For example, if a fortune teller promises to tell the future in exchange for cash, and both parties believe in the process, has a fraud been committed? Building on a thorough history of the legal regulation of fortune-telling laws in four countries, Faith or Fraud examines the impact of people who identify as “spiritual but not religious” on the future legal understanding of religious freedom. Traditional legal notions of religious freedom were conceived in the context of organized religion. Jeremy Patrick examines how the law needs to adapt to a contemporary spirituality in which individuals can select concepts drawn from multiple religions, philosophies, and folklore to develop their own idiosyncratic belief systems. Faith or Fraud exposes the law’s failure to recognize individual spirituality as part of modern religious practice, concluding that legal understanding of freedom of religion has not evolved along with religion itself.

Political factors influence judicial decisions. Arguments and input from lawyers and interest groups, shifting public opinion, and the ideological and behavioral inclinations of the justices collectively influence the development of constitutional doctrine. In Constitutional Law for a Changing America, bestselling authors Lee Epstein, Kevin T. McGuire, and Thomas G. Walker draw on both political science and legal studies to analyze and excerpt cases, accounting for recent landmark court decisions, including key opinions handed down through the 2020 term. Updated with additional material such as recent court rulings, more than 500 supplemental cases, and greater coverage of freedom of expression, this Eleventh Edition will develop students’ understanding of how the U.S. Constitution protects civil rights and liberties. Included with this text The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.

In comparing the ways in which China, Taiwan and Hong Kong punish religious claims and practices considered by the state to be false or fraudulent, Jianlin Chen presents a seminal contribution to the interdisciplinary study of religious freedom. The book not only reveals how these legal tools sustain a hierarchy of religion, but also the political dynamic behind the design and utilization of these legal tools. Adopting a novel, comparative approach, Chen adeptly investigates various legal tools employed to regulate religious fraud in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Through a systematic survey of court judgments, he identifies the surprising convergences among the religious fraud regulations across the three jurisdictions. He further employs public choice analysis to tease out the reasons behind these often unconstitutional religious fraud regulations, and highlights the complicity of individuals who otherwise advocate for liberal democratic values. With its wealth of legal and political analysis, the book critically interjects in the global inquiry of religious freedom and democratic backsliding. This progressive book is an important touchstone for scholars and students in Asian studies, law and religion, criminal law and justice, and law and society.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1973.

Through an examination of criminal law, nationality law and administrative regulatory policies in Jordan, this volume demonstrates how the state uses the legal system as a tool for legitimacy, incorporating traditional social practices in order to maintain the support of certain elements of society while at the same time taking measures that counter traditional practices and extend new rights and roles to women.

Proposes a new theoretical approach to religious liberty that both transcends and transforms current approaches to law and religion.