Review and Discuss: "American Crusade"

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American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom
by Andrew L. Seidel
2022
258 pages plus endnotes
publisher: Union Square & Co.

"Andrew L. Seidel, a constitutional attorney and author of the critically acclaimed book The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American, dives into the debate on religious liberty, the modern attempt to weaponize religious freedom, and the Supreme Court's role in that 'crusade.'

Seidel examines some of the key Supreme Court cases of the last thirty years—including Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (a bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple), Trump v. Hawaii (the anti-Muslim travel ban case), American Legion v. American Humanist Association (related to a group maintaining a 40-foot Christian cross on government-owned land), and Tandon v. Newsom (a Santa Clara Bible group exempted from Covid health restrictions), as well as the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade—and how a hallowed legal protection, freedom of religion, has been turned into a tool to advance privilege and impose religion on others.

This is a meticulously researched and deeply insightful account of our political landscape with a foreword provided by noted constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky, author of The Case Against the Supreme Court.

The issue of church versus state is more relevant than ever in today’s political climate and with the conservative majority status of the current Supreme Court. This book is a standout on the shelf for fans of Michelle Alexander, Bob Woodward, and Christopher Hitchens. Readers looking for critiques of the rise of Christian nationalism, like Jesus and John Wayne, and examinations like How Democracies Die will devour Seidel's analysis."

Source: Publisher

Hardcover: ‎ https://a.co/d/iyLn85w
Audiobook: https://a.co/d/4nWls6a

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About the Author

Andrew L. Seidel is an author and attorney who's defended the First Amendment for more than a decade, both in and out of court. Andrew dedicated his career to challenging religious privilege and battling Christian Nationalism. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book The Founding Myth; has appeared on Fox and Friends, MSNBC, The O'Reilly Factor, and numerous radio shows; speaks and writes extensively about religious freedom; and has been profiled by BBC News, Buzzfeed, International Business Times, and more.

After a decade as a constitutional attorney and director with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, he joined Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

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Book Reviews

“Andrew Seidel provides an insightful, deeply researched, and well-written account. . . . Anyone who cares about the First Amendment—which should be everyone—must read this book.”
—Windsor Mann, editor of The Quotable Hitchens

“A brilliantly argued analysis.”
—Ann Druyan, author of Cosmos: Possible Worlds

“A must read for anyone hoping to understand our new political and cultural landscape.”
—Jessica Mason Pieklo, coauthor of The End of Roe v Wade