Law and Religion in the Liberal State

The Relationship Between Law and Religion

The relationship between law and religion is evident throughout history. They have never been completely independent from each other. There is no doubt that religion has played an important role in providing the underlying values of modern laws, in setting the terms of the relationship between the individual and the state, and in demanding a space for the variety of intermediate institutions which stand between individuals and the state.

However, the relationships between law and religion, and the state and religious institutions differ significantly from one modern state to another. There is not one liberalism but many.

This work brings together reflections upon the relationship between religion and the law from the perspectives of different sub-traditions within the broader liberal project and in light of some contemporary problems in the accommodation of religious and secular authority.