Publishers Weekly
03/25/2019
Collis (the novel At Any Cost), an attorney who works on religious liberty cases, profiles four Americans whose legal cases reveal “just how crucial true religious liberty is” in his slapdash nonfiction debut. For each profile, Collis digs into how his subjects reveal the complexities of ensuring individual religious liberty in a nation of increasingly diverse beliefs: Anthony Kohlmann, an early-19th-century priest, fought for the sanctity of the confessional; Roy Torcaso, an atheist, resisted taking an oath affirming the existence of God (formerly a requirement to work for the Massachusetts government) during the Cold War; Al Smith, a Klamath man, fought for the legal right to perform a religious practice that required peyote; and Jack Philips, a baker whose refusal to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding took him all the way to the Supreme Court, where he won his case. Despite claims of the “universality” of these cases, Collis carefully avoids historical cases in which the exercise of one person’s religious liberty infringes on the liberty of another person; instead, he focuses on those in which the state alone infringes on personal liberties, for instance, setting up his defense of Philips as a victim of a new oppressive political majority he calls the LGBT Left. While Collis goes into great detail addressing a topic foundational to American democracy, he sells his readers short by not fully grappling with examples that represent the range of complexity in America’s long history of wrestling with religious freedom. (June)
Douglas Laycock
"Collis takes complex legal theories and disputes and brings them to life in a way that will make them engaging for readers with no legal background. The stories in this book illustrate the significant human toll that state regulation of religious exercise can exact, but they also show the interests of government and the legitimate concerns some may have with allowing conscientious objectors an exception to laws that apply to most others. Even-handed and thoughtful, yet paced like a good work of literature, Deep Conviction will leave readers with a deeper understanding of the relationship between church and state. Through the eyes of people affected on an intimate level, the book illuminates how religious liberty law ended up where it is today. The stories—riveting and painstakingly researched—will allow readers to be thoughtful about where the law should go, and they will help readers understand the differing viewpoints on these most important of issues. A timely and important contribution."
Booklist
"Religious freedom is a pillar of the First Amendment of the Constitution, and yet it is a right that is often over-simplified, misconstrued, and contested. Collis, a professor of law and practicing lawyer specializing in religious liberty, tackles this difficult topic through four different and instructive examples from different eras in American history. While the situations are varied, each reveals the role that power plays in applying the law and that the nature and dynamics of social mores and political clout change over time. Collis does a superb job of presenting these cases clearly and thoroughly and without strong bias, focusing on the letter of the law and its implications. Truly an accessible and fascinating narrative for all readers interested in how diverse battles over First Amendment rights and religious freedom have shaped people's lives and the nation at large."
Booklist
"Religious freedom is a pillar of the First Amendment of the Constitution, and yet it is a right that is often over-simplified, misconstrued, and contested. Collis, a professor of law and practicing lawyer specializing in religious liberty, tackles this difficult topic through four different and instructive examples from different eras in American history. While the situations are varied, each reveals the role that power plays in applying the law and that the nature and dynamics of social mores and political clout change over time. Collis does a superb job of presenting these cases clearly and thoroughly and without strong bias, focusing on the letter of the law and its implications. Truly an accessible and fascinating narrative for all readers interested in how diverse battles over First Amendment rights and religious freedom have shaped people's lives and the nation at large."
Stephanie Barclay
"Unique perspective. Collis is able to use these stories to highlight recurring themes about how we balance rights of conscience against the unbending rule of law. Even-handed...demonstrates the universality of conscience protections for people of all faiths or none. Will inspire lay audiences and provide an invaluable resource for academics and litigators who will undoubtedly be surprised by how much they have to learn about these familiar cases and the deep convictions of their unlikely protagonists."
Library Journal
06/01/2019
Collis (law, Univ. of Denver) selects four very different case studies from American history to illustrate the challenges of protecting religious freedom. The author begins in 1812 with a Catholic priest in New York who is asked to reveal information from a private confession. In 1959, an atheist in Maryland won a legal battle to become a notary without having to declare a belief in God. A more complex case was heard in 1990 involving a member of the Klamath tribe and his appeal to freely practice his beliefs (Oregon v. Smith). The Supreme Court held that the state could prohibit certain religious practices as long as it wasn't targeting any specific religion. The final case outlined is the recent and highly publicized Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The Court, in a 7–2 vote, decided that the Commission's hostility to religion invalidated the lower court's ruling. Collis is an effective storyteller, despite frequent flourishes and embellishments in his narrative, which benefits from extensive research and generous use of court transcripts and interviews. VERDICT Readers interested in religious liberty will find this work to be an accessible exploration of a much-disputed area of constitutional law.—Thomas Karel, Franklin & Marshall Coll. Lib., Lancaster, PA
