In this new edition of The Amish and the State,
Donald Kraybill brings together legal scholars and social
scientists to explore the unique series of conflicts between a
traditional religious minority and the modern state. In the
process, the authors trace the preservation—and the erosion—of
religious liberty in American life. Kraybill begins with an
overview of the Amish in North America and describes the
"negotiation model" used throughout the book to interpret a
variety of legal conflicts. Subsequent chapters deal with
specific aspects of religious freedom over which the Amish and
the state have clashed. Focusing on the period from 1925 to 2001
in the United States, the authors examine conflicts over
military service and conscription, Social Security and taxes,
education, health care, land use and zoning, regulation of
slow-moving vehicles, and other first amendment issues. New
concluding chapters, by constitutional expert William Ball, who
defended the Amish before the Supreme Court in 1972 in the
landmark Wisconsin v. Yoder case, and law professor
Garret Epps, assess the Amish contribution to preserving
religious liberty in the United States.