▁British ▁civil ▁servant ▁Ger ald ▁Gard ner , ▁involving ▁the ▁worship ▁of ▁a ▁God ▁and ▁God dess . ▁ ▁Rel ated ▁aspects ▁ ▁Law ▁ ▁The ▁study ▁of ▁law ▁and ▁religion ▁is ▁a ▁relatively ▁new ▁field , ▁with ▁several ▁thousand ▁sch ol ars ▁involved ▁in ▁law ▁schools , ▁and ▁academic ▁depart ments ▁including ▁political ▁science , ▁religion , ▁and ▁history ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁Sch ol ars ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁are ▁not ▁only ▁focused ▁on ▁strictly ▁legal ▁issues ▁about ▁religious ▁freedom ▁or ▁non - est ab lish ment , ▁but ▁also ▁study ▁relig ions ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁qualified ▁through ▁jud icial ▁disc ourses ▁or ▁legal ▁understanding ▁of ▁religious ▁phen omena . ▁Ex ponents ▁look ▁at ▁canon ▁law , ▁natural ▁law , ▁and ▁state ▁law , ▁often ▁in ▁a ▁compar ative ▁perspective . ▁Special ists ▁have ▁expl ored ▁them es ▁in ▁Western ▁history ▁regarding ▁Christian ity ▁and ▁justice ▁and ▁mer cy , ▁rule ▁and ▁equ ity , ▁and ▁discipline ▁and ▁love . ▁Common ▁topics ▁of ▁interest ▁include ▁marriage ▁and ▁the ▁family ▁and ▁human ▁rights . ▁Out side ▁of ▁Christian ity , ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁looked ▁at ▁law ▁and ▁religion ▁links ▁in ▁the ▁Muslim ▁Middle ▁East ▁and ▁pag an ▁Rome . ▁ ▁Studies ▁have ▁focused ▁on ▁sec ular ization . ▁In ▁particular , ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁we aring ▁religious ▁symbols ▁in ▁public , ▁such ▁as ▁head scar ves ▁that ▁are ▁b anned ▁in ▁French ▁schools , ▁have ▁received ▁scholar ly ▁attention ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁human ▁rights ▁and ▁femin ism .