Legal Periodical: Merry Season’s Controversy

Lorin C. Geitner, Merry Season’s Controversy (January 20, 2011). Orange County Lawyer, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1744483

Discussion of the infamous ‘Christmas Controversy’ – the legality of religious symbols in holiday displays on public land. This issue is examined both from the viewpoint of an attorney and a scholar of religion: From a legal point of view, the article examines the holdings of three major Supreme Court cases which have addressed this issue. From the viewpoint of religious scholarship, the article examined the relevant sociology of religion, which is also an important factor in accounting for why, in spite of settled precedents, this issue remains controversial.