Where does Cicero stand on the relationship between Religion and the State?

Rough outline of the essay:

1. Introductory paragraph: motivate this discussion for a contemporary reader who is paying attention to current events.

2. Explicate Cicero’s stand and his argument(s) for the position he takes.

1. Find important passages and map out his thinking.

2. Account for Cicero’s point of view. What are his underlying positions on law, justice and nature, and his concerns about realities of polity, that lead to his defense of a particular relationship between Religion and the State?

3. What’s the best that can be said for Cicero’s position? In light of that, what’s the most important criticism you can offer?

3. Concluding paragraph: return to what interests your readers and show how Cicero has or has not addressed their present day concerns.
   
   

Steps in the process:

1. Spend a few minutes sketching out what you might say in the first paragraph. What’s on our minds today about Religion and the State? Where do you see this in the news? (Stick with the best instance.)

2. Find the central texts, summarize them, and write a thesis statement that answers the topical question in a concise and accurate way.

3. Sketch out how this fits in the larger framework of Cicero’s thought.

4. What’s the best you can say in defense of Cicero? Even so, what’s wrong or left out in his thinking?

5. Write up the last paragraph.

6. Write up the first paragraph.