Mona Siddiqui, professor of Islamic studies and public understanding at the Centre for Islam at the University of Glasgow, and The Right Reverend V. Gene Robinson, bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire, headline the CSLR's Spring 2009 lecture series, “When Law and Religion Meet.” On March 18 at noon, Siddiqui will address issues surrounding Islamic law in Britain. On March 30 at 7:30 p.m., Robinson will discuss why religion matters in the quest for gay civil rights. Both events take place at Emory Law's Tull Auditorium. The lecture series provides a forum for religious leaders to discuss difficult legal, moral, and ethical issues facing their religious communities. Read more.

Supreme Court should exercise care in constitutional controversies

A new book by CSLR Senior Fellow Michael J. Perry examines the most disputed constitutional issues of our times—capital punishment, abortion, and same-sex unions—and argues that judges, especially U.S. Supreme Court Justices, should exercise deference in deciding whether a law should be declared unconstitutional. Constitutional Rights, Moral Controversy, and the Supreme Court (Cambridge University Press, 2009) argues that “both sides need to realize the court should be focused on what the implications are, and whether it is a good idea for them to strike down an action as unconstitutional if it is not unreasonable for lawmakers to have come to a different judgment.” Read more.

Book examimes God's calling to children

Edited by distinguished jurist Patrick McKinley Brennan, The Vocation of the Child is a product of the CSLR’s research project on the Child in Law, Religion, and Society and is the latest book in the CSLR’s Religion, Marriage, and Family book series published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. It features 15 essays from project participants and others concerning the calling of the child and its place within the Christian community. Read more.

Alexander weighs in on housing crisis

CSLR Founding Director Frank Alexander, a nationally recognized expert on real estate finance and foreclosure, affordable housing, and community development, spoke out against the initial financial bailout bill on television and in a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, which was read on the House floor in late September by Dennis Kucinich, chairman of the House Domestic Policy Subcommittee. In addition, the Brookings Insitution published a paper by Alexander that calls for the federal government to fund local land banking so that communities can convert vacant and abandoned properties into community assets. Read Alexander's letter to U.S. House of Representatives.Read Alexander's Brookings Insitution paper on land banking. Read related articles on bailout bill and land banking.

Luther's teachings still vital today

Nearly half a millennium after it first broke out in the tiny town of Wittenberg, Germany, the Lutheran Reformation continues to shape Western theology and law, CSLR Director John Witte, Jr. told the audience at the university’s 21st annual Reformation Day Celebration October 21.
Each year, Emory hosts Reformation Day to highlight the Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection at the Candler School of Theology. The collection is an archive of rare and valuable documents produced in connection with the Reformation, including more than 2,600 pieces written by Martin Luther. This year’s celebration focused on America’s German Heritage. Read more.

Archbishop says church must add voice to debates of state

Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory discussed the Catholic Church’s stance on capital punishment October 7. “The only purpose that would render an execution morally licit is the defense of society from the criminal whose sentencing is under question”—a situation not likely to be found in a modern, industrialized society with a secure prison system, Gregory said. His address was the first in the new CSLR lecture series, “When Law and Religion Meet.” Emory’s Aquinas Center of Theology co-sponsored the event. View webcast. Read more.

Perry discusses role of judiciary with Brazilians

CSLR Senior Fellow Michael J. Perry traveled to Brazil last month to speak to law professors, law students, judges, and lawyers about the proper role of the judiciary in protecting the constitution. He spoke to gatherings in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo in celebration of the 20^th anniversary of the Brazilian Constitution. Read more.

CSLR student speaks at international human rights conference

CSLR joint-degree candidate Bradford Glick (far left) spoke on the challenges of implementing the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) during the international conference, “Regional Human Rights Mechanisms: The European Convention and the Arab Charter,” hosted by Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy, in early December. Read more.

iTunes University and Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters bring CSLR lectures to your home

Lectures on the volatile issues of law and religion by the world’s foremost experts – from church historian Martin E. Marty to former president Jimmy Carter to sociologist Robert N. Bellah to political philosopher Jean Bethke Elshtain – are now available on Emory University’s iTunes U. Hosted by the CSLR and dating as far back as 2003, the lectures focus on religion and family, religion and human rights, separation of church and state, and law and religion issues the world is likely to face during the next 25 years. In addition, lectures from the CSLR's Silver Anniversary celebration , "From Silver to Gold: The Next 25 Years of Law and Religion," will air on cable television through Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters every Tuesday at 2 p.m. through February 17.
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