Let’s Be Reasonable!

Abstract

Religious Freedom in an Egalitarian Age is a very well-written book, which addresses the contemporary conflict between religious freedom and equality law, in particular regarding LGBT rights. Through the analysis of major decisions by the Supreme Court in cases concerning LGBT rights, Nelson Tebbe proposes a specific method to solve potential conflicts with religious freedom. This is a fascinating read for lawmakers but also for those who are new to these issues—and particularly for people like me, who either belong to a discipline other than law or are merely unfamiliar with the American legal tradition. How can Americans conciliate an increasingly necessary protection from discrimination to enjoy the full spectrum of civil rights and at the same time protect their idea of religious freedom? I deliberately insist on the pronoun “their,” because, although this is a book that pretends to establish a general rule to dissipate conflicts, it is based on a particular legal culture, and its recipes cannot be exported or discussed except for comparative purposes. The examples, analyses, and discussions are a nice portrayal of American culture concerning these matters today, which makes it a useful tool for everyone, though in different ways.