No Religious Test Clause
E54622
The No Religious Test Clause is a provision in the U.S. Constitution that prohibits making religious affiliation or belief a requirement for holding any public office or position under the United States.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
constitutional clause
ⓘ
provision of the United States Constitution ⓘ |
| adopted | 1788 ⓘ |
| appliesRegardlessOf |
belief or nonbelief
ⓘ
religion ⓘ religious denomination ⓘ |
| appliesTo |
United States government
ⓘ
surface form:
United States federal government
public office under the United States ⓘ public trust under the United States ⓘ |
| appliesToOathOrAffirmation | federal officeholders ⓘ |
| bindingOn |
President of the United States
ⓘ
United States Congress ⓘ all federal officers ⓘ federal judiciary ⓘ |
| cameIntoForce | 1789 ⓘ |
| category |
Law and religion in the United States
ⓘ
surface form:
Religion and the United States Constitution
United States constitutional law ⓘ |
| constitutionalLevel | supreme law of the land ⓘ |
| country | United States of America ⓘ |
| distinctFrom | state constitutional provisions on religious tests ⓘ |
| draftedBy |
Constitutional Convention
ⓘ
surface form:
Constitutional Convention of 1787
|
| enshrinedIn | supremacy framework of Article VI ⓘ |
| ensures | that oath or affirmation to support the Constitution is not a religious test ⓘ |
| foundIn | United States Constitution ⓘ |
| governs | qualifications for federal office ⓘ |
| hasInterpretationBy | Supreme Court of the United States ⓘ |
| hasShortName | Religious Test Clause ⓘ |
| historicalContext | reaction against religious test oaths in England and some American colonies ⓘ |
| influencedBy | Enlightenment ideas on religious toleration ⓘ |
| isPartOf | Article VI of the United States Constitution ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| legalEffect | invalidates federal requirements conditioning office on religious profession ⓘ |
| legalScope | federal offices and positions under the United States ⓘ |
| locatedInDocument | Article VI, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution ⓘ |
| normativePrinciple | equality of citizens in eligibility for federal office ⓘ |
| prohibits |
making religious affiliation a qualification for office
ⓘ
making religious belief a qualification for office ⓘ religious tests for public office ⓘ requiring a religious oath as a condition for federal office ⓘ |
| protects |
nonbelievers in access to federal office
ⓘ
religious liberty in access to federal office ⓘ |
| purpose |
to prevent religious discrimination in eligibility for federal office
ⓘ
to separate religious qualifications from civil authority at the federal level ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
Establishment Clause
ⓘ
First Amendment to the United States Constitution ⓘ Free Exercise Clause ⓘ |
| subjectOf |
church–state separation debates
ⓘ
constitutional law scholarship ⓘ |
| text | "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States" ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form:
Article VI of the United States Constitution