Sarah Barringer Gordon

Sarah Barringer Gordon is a legal historian and professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She specializes in American constitutional law, religious liberty, and the intersection of law and religion in 19th and 20th century America. Gordon focuses on how legal systems have addressed religious practices that conflict with mainstream social norms. Her scholarship examines cases where religious freedom claims intersect with federal authority and constitutional interpretation. She has written extensively about Mormon polygamy and its legal challenges in the 19th century. Her research explores how courts and legislators navigated conflicts between religious practice and federal law during periods of territorial expansion. Gordon's work appears in legal journals and academic publications. She teaches courses on constitutional law, legal history, and church-state relations at Penn Law School.

Readers praise Gordon's thorough research and use of primary sources in "The Mormon Question." Many reviewers note her balanced approach to examining both Mormon perspectives and federal government positions on polygamy. Readers appreciate her detailed analysis of court cases and legislative debates from the period. Several reviewers highlight Gordon's clear writing style and ability to make complex legal history accessible. Readers find her examination of constitutional issues around religious freedom informative and well-documented. Some readers wanted more focus on the lived experiences of Mormon families affected by anti-polygamy laws. A few reviewers found certain sections dense with legal detail. Other readers wished for more analysis of long-term impacts on Mormon communities beyond the immediate legal battles. Readers consistently note Gordon's objective treatment of a controversial subject. Many describe the book as filling an important gap in understanding 19th-century constitutional conflicts over religious practice.