Freedom for, Freedom from, and Freedom of Religion: An Analysis of Religious Liberty in Israel, France, and the United States

This thesis analyzes the idea of religious freedom by taking a closer look at how three countries, Israel, France and the United States, have implemented the notion of separation of church and state. I propose that the separation of religion from government is not a binary issue, but has instead produced three main interpretations which we will call freedom for, freedom from, and freedom of religion. Within each of these countries, I examine the history, legislation and judicial decisions that have brought them to their current conceptualization of religious freedom and how these policies affect the daily lives of those living within their domain.