November 2026 - LAW AND RELIGION FORUM

One of the most important trends in American religion in recent decades has been the rise of the “Nones,” Americans who tell pollsters they have no religious affiliation. Some observers see this trend as evidence of the continuing secularization of American society. But is religion really in decline? And how much can surveys tell us about Americans’ religious beliefs and practices?

In this episode of Legal Spirits, Center Director Mark Movsesian interviews historian Thomas Kidd about his provocative new co-authored book, The Death of Religion? Nones, Others, and the Flourishing of Faith. They discuss why conventional surveys may exaggerate religious decline, the surprisingly long history of religious disaffiliation in America—including the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century phenomenon of the “Nothingarians”—and whether Americans’ longstanding suspicion of institutions helps explain the rise of the Nones today. Listen in!

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Here are some important law-and-religion news stories from around the web:

The Ninth Circuit upheld an injunction⁠ blocking enforcement of a California law that restricted employers from requiring employees to attend meetings concerning political or religious matters, holding that the law infringed employers’ free speech rights.
A former Texas public school teacher sued his school district⁠, alleging that evangelical Christian prayers at mandatory staff meetings violated the First Amendment.
A Maryland federal district court declined to grant additional injunctive relief⁠ to a rabbi challenging a county firearms restriction that prevents him from carrying a gun while walking to synagogue on the Sabbath.
A California appellate court rejected First Amendment challenges⁠ to the admission of evidence concerning Scientology’s teachings in the criminal trial of actor Danny Masterson.
A Florida federal district court dismissed a pastor’s lawsuit⁠ challenging the denial of a property tax exemption for church property, holding that the Tax Injunction Act barred federal court intervention.
A New York appellate court upheld penalties⁠ against a clothing retailer that refused to sell a bridal outfit for a same-sex wedding, rejecting the retailer’s First Amendment defense.
A Michigan federal district court dismissed a former school bus driver’s lawsuit⁠ challenging her termination for distributing candy bearing religious messages to students, holding that her conduct was not protected private religious expression.