Politics: Book Focuses on the Battle Over School Prayer

This summer marks the 45th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Engel v. Vitale, the first court case that addressed the constitutionality of prayer in public schools. Expert’s research focuses on the Battle Over School Prayer and Engel v. Vitale in newly published book.

This summer marks the 45th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Engel v. Vitale, the first court case that addressed the constitutionality of prayer in public schools.

In his new book, The Battle Over School Prayer: How Engel v. Vitale Changed America, Canisius College History Professor, Bruce J. Dierenfield, PhD, sets his account of the decision in the larger historical and political context, citing battles over a wide range of religious activities in public schools throughout American history.

Dierenfield takes readers behind the scenes at school board meetings and court deliberations, and reveals the large price paid by the plaintiffs and their children, who were harassed both during and after the trial.

Finally, Dierenfield illustrates how the case has had a polarizing effect, reverberated through subsequent decades and gained intensity.

Brought about by five Nassau County, NY families, Engel v. Vitale determined that it was unconstitutional for the New York State Board of Regents to compose a non-denominational prayer and mandate that it be recited each day in public schools. The plaintiffs in the case (Engel), sued the Herricks Board of Education (Vitale) and argued that the prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which states “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.” The lower courts upheld the constitutionality of the prayer, stating that students were not forced to participate. But by a vote of 6-1, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the lower courts and declared the New York prayer violated the First Amendment rights of petitioners.

The Battle Over School Prayer is Dierenfield’s fourth book. He also authored or co-authored The Federal Role and Activities in Energy Research and Development, 1946-1980: An Historical Summary; Keeper of the Rules: Congressman Howard W. Smith of Virginia; and The Civil Rights Movement. Dierenfield is currently working on two news books about the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union and African American leadership.

Dierenfield is director of the Canisius College All-College Honors Program and a Peter Canisius Distinguished Teaching Professor. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of St. Olaf College and holds a PhD in American history from the University of Virginia.

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