Abstract
While the United States is filled with religious sects, denominations, worshippers, and even fanatics, the truth is that American society has become largely secular.' When analyzing society's trend toward secularization from a legal perspective, it is only natural to begin with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment 2-the clause responsible for the separation of church and state. But is today's secular society really the brainchild of the Framers of the Constitution? Or is it an unintended result that was far beyond their realm of foreseeability? This Comment addresses these questions by surveying the writings of several influential Constitutional Framers. However, in realizing that even great thinkers were inspired by others, this Comment goes beyond the likes of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, and explores the works of John Locke and Adam Smith to discover the foundation upon which the Framers were working.
Recommended Citation
Teresa M. Blake, Were the Framers - and the Writers Who Influenced Them - Unable to Foresee the Extent of Secularization That Could Result from the Separation of Church and State?, 33 Campbell L. Rev. 723 (2011).