Establishment of Religion — related Supreme Court cases
This page groups Supreme Court cases that involve the constitutional concept “Establishment of Religion”. Use it to explore related decisions and see how the same idea shows up across different cases.
“Establishment of Religion” is:
Government action that establishes, endorses, or favors religion.
Source: First Amendment Where this concept definition/label comes from (for example, a constitutional provision or a reference framework).
Cases
These are cases where this concept was identified as relevant. Click a case to view its summary, holding, and supporting syllabus excerpts.
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Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Comm’n.
5th June 2025
The case involves a challenge to a state law that allegedly imposes a denominational preference, which is central to the Establishment Clause.
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Kennedy v. Bremerton School Dist.
27th June 2022
The Establishment Clause was considered in determining whether the school district's actions were justified to avoid endorsing religion.
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Carson v. Makin
21st June 2022
The case involves the balance between the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause, with Maine's law being challenged as promoting stricter separation of church and state than the Federal Constitution requires.
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Shurtleff v. Boston
2nd May 2022
Boston's decision was influenced by concerns about violating the Establishment Clause, which relates to government endorsement of religion.
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Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
8th July 2020
The decision involves the Establishment Clause as it prevents government entanglement in religious matters by recognizing the ministerial exception.
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Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue
30th June 2020
The case involves the intersection of the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause, particularly in the context of state funding for religious schools.
