The interplay of religion and law has long been a major political and social issue in the United States. From the Salem Witch Trials to the debate over school vouchers, court rulings have had a profound effect on people's lives.;This text intends to provide detailed entries on all of the major Supreme Court decisions dealing with church and state, topical and theoretical essays relating to the issue, and cogent biographies of those Justices whose decisions have achieved landmark status in the debate. Encompassing cases from the colonial period to the Supreme Court's important decisions in 1997, this volume is written in a clear, concise style and aims to be useful to professionals and specialists and accessible to students.