Presbyterian Church in United States v. Mary Elizabeth Blue Hull Memorial Presbyterian Church (1968)
- Docket
- 71
- Decided
- 1968-01-01
- Category
- General
Summary
Question: Do the civil courts have the ability to determine title to church property on the basis of the civil court’s interpretation of the church doctrine? Conclusion: No. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. delivered the opinion of the 9-0 majority. The court held that civil courts do not have the authority to award property on the basis of the interpretation and significance that the civil courts have assigned to aspects of the church doctrine. Therefore, the Court held that the Georgia courts have violated the First Amendment. Justice John M. Harlan wrote a concurring opinion in which he argued that the Fourteenth Amendment prevented civil courts from enforcing agreements that limit any religious organization’s use of property granted.