"PRIDE IGNORANCE AND KNAVERY": JAMES MADISON'S FORMATIVE EXPERIENCES WITH RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENTS.

MADISON, James, 1751-1836; CHURCH & state; RELIGION & law; HISTORY of the United States Constitution; ATTITUDES of U.S. Supreme Court justices; RELIGIOUS life of United States presidents; UNITED States. Constitution. Bill of Rights; HISTORY of church & state; POLITICAL attitudes

The article discusses the Religion Clauses contained in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the history of church and state in America, and former U.S. President James Madison's formative experiences with religious establishments. The U.S. Supreme Court Justices and their reliance on the historical record when rendering legal decisions are addressed, along with the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791. The authority of the Anglican Church in Virginia is also examined.