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.