Cert. Denied In Libel Suit By Church Group Against Encyclopedia

Today the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in The Local Church v. Harvest House Publishers (Case No. 06-1520) (June 18 Order List), a case on the scope of the "ecclesiastical abstention" doctrine and other First Amendment doctrines as they apply to defamation actions that arise in a religious context. In the case, a Texas state court of appeals, rejected a libel claim by a group of churches against a publisher and two authors who included "The Local Church" in The Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions. (See prior posting). Extensive primary materials and commentary on the case are posted on Contending for the Faith website.