Sotomayor, Roman Catholic Supremacy, and Protestant Approaches to Law

First Things
Jun 11, 2009
Jordan Ballor

The nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court raises the prospect that for the first time in history there will be a supermajority of justices on the same court affiliated to one degree or another with the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed, if her nomination is successful—as most experts believe it will be—half of the Roman Catholics who have ever been on the Supreme Court will be serving simultaneously.

At the same time the number of Protestants on the court will fall to a historic low—with David Souter’s retirement, John Paul Stevens will be the lone Protestant. With Roman Catholic representation on the land’s highest court at its apex, and Protestant representation at its nadir, the question must be asked whether this reflects a shift in the balance of legal influence reflective of underlying deficiencies in American Protestantism. the rest