Church, State & the Shifting Line
May 14, 2026
YEARS
50+
the Lemon test governed Establishment Clause law before being abandoned in 2022
AMERICANS
67%
say the government should never declare an official religion (PRRI 2023)
CHRISTIAN NATIONALISTS
~29%
of U.S. adults hold Christian nationalist views (PRRI 2023)
SUPREME COURT CASES
6
major Establishment Clause rulings since 2020 that narrowed the separation wall
Establishment Clause Rulings 1947–2023
Circle size = case significance. Hover for details.
Separationist
Accommodationist
Landmark
Notable
The Lemon Test (1971–2022)
Prong 1: Secular Purpose
The government action must have a primarily secular legislative purpose.
Prong 2: Neither Advances nor Inhibits Religion
The primary effect of the action must neither advance nor inhibit religion.
Prong 3: No Excessive Entanglement
The action must not result in excessive government entanglement with religion.
Abandoned in 2022: Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 597 U.S. 507 (2022). Replaced with the History and tradition test: courts look to historical practices and understandings at the time of the Founding.
Presidential Religious Events
1953
First National Prayer Breakfast (Eisenhower, R)
Eisenhower becomes the first president to attend the National Prayer Breakfast, beginning a tradition that continues to the present.
1988
National Day of Prayer Act (Reagan, R)
Reagan signs legislation making the first Thursday in May a permanent National Day of Prayer.
2001
White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives (Bush43, R)
Bush establishes a dedicated federal office directing public funds to religious social-service organizations.
2008
Expanded faith-based funding (Bush43, R)
Faith-based initiative expanded to 11 federal agencies; religious organizations received billions in federal contracts.
2017
Executive Order on Religious Liberty (Trump, R)
Trump signs order directing agencies to broadly accommodate religious exercise, limiting IRS enforcement of the Johnson Amendment.
2020
Lafayette Square Bible Photo-Op (Trump, R)
Trump holds a Bible in front of St. John's Church after federal forces cleared peaceful protesters — widely criticized as government-sponsored religious symbolism.
2025
Rededicate 250 Participation (Trump, R)
The Trump administration formally participates in 'Rededicate 250,' a large-scale Christian prayer gathering tied to the nation's 250th anniversary, raising direct Establishment Clause concerns.
Key Questions
Sources: Public Religion Research Institute · Supreme Court of the United States · Pew Research Center · Congressional Research Service
Data sources
American Values Survey 2023: Christian Nationalism· Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI)Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 597 U.S. 507 (2022)· Supreme Court of the United StatesLemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971)· Supreme Court of the United States303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, 600 U.S. 570 (2023)· Supreme Court of the United StatesReligion and the Founders: Faith, Freedom, and the First Amendment· Congressional Research ServiceReligious Landscape Study: Views on church-state separation· Pew Research CenterThe Establishment Clause and the Supreme Court· Freedom Forum