Disciplines
• Law
Law and religion: Many of the hottest
legal issues today involve religion in the
public square. Current First Amendment issues
include church-state separation, God in the
Pledge of Allegiance, and prayer in schools
and public spheres. Ethical issues sometimes
related to religious beliefs are also debated,
such as potential bans on abortion or types
of abortion, the death penalty, and how to
rule or legislate in ways that offer freedom
to practice religion but not against any particular
practices or atheist beliefs.
History: Religion
and law have been linked throughout history.
The Code of Hammurabi (c. 1892 B.C.-1750
B.C), one of the earliest documented legal
codes, was reportedly given to King Hammurabi
by the Sumerian gods. The Ten Commandments,
a centerpiece of the Jewish and Christian
faiths, influenced similar guides for behavior
in the Koran. They also have guided thinking
on legal matters for centuries both in this
country and in the European common law that
was adopted by America at the founding of
our nation. The notion of "eye for
an eye" that guides some in the debate
over capital punishment is a reflection
of religious roots in the evolution of law
(it is found in both Hammurabi's code and
the Old Testament and influenced Islamic
Sharia law). The intentions of America's
Founding Fathers regarding how religion,
law and public life are to be conducted
remains up for debate among many groups.
Philosophical ideas:
Some have said that law is the framework
upon which religion rests - that law is
the bones and religion is its soul. In truth,
the two disciplines have much in common.
They define right and wrong while also trying
to find the interplay and balance between
justice and mercy, between the need to provide
discipline and order and the need to show
love. These traditions can be studied in
tandem, and the Center on Religion & the
Professions offers a chance
to connect legal scholars with those from
other disciplines in ways to produce original
research in this area.
Law in current affairs:
The principles of law are seen in many current
religious issues. For example, in the Catholic
Church clergy abuse crisis, religious institutions
and zoning laws, vouchers for religious
schools, expressions of religion on public
property, and rulings on peyote, a drug
used in American Indian religious practice.
Both Supreme Court and local rulings impact
how religion and law are practiced in these
areas.
Religion also plays a role
in prisons and addiction recovery programs.
Some studies have shown that inmates who
participate in religious practice have a
lower recidivism rate.
Law and journalism:
The Center on Religion & the Professions is an affiliate of MU's
School of Journalism. Researchers could
work jointly in religion, law and journalism
to educate attorneys, students and the media
about issues related to religion and law,
with the goal of giving the public a more
nuanced explanation of legal and religious
issues. Journalists interested in law could
also study how media coverage of these issues
impacts public perception and how laws are
made and followed.
Current issues:
The Center aims to promote understanding
of how a diverse public can better function
with the many religions that are practiced
in the U.S. The legal arena is often the
one chosen by those in a minority viewpoint
to protect rights or increase awareness.
Legal scholars can work with the Center
to promote these goals. Those practicing
law can also better understand how their
own religious or non-religious beliefs drive
their interest in or practice of law.
Researchers could explore
the ramifications of a legal system that
has evolved from religious principles through
the eyes of a diverse citizenry. In historical
terms, the evolution of law in the U.S.
could be traced in concert with the growth
of religious diversity in the United States.
Research that examines other ethical traditions
could be useful in constructing law for
a more diverse society.
Journal
of Law & Religion
Religion & the Public Order
University
of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion,
Gender and Class
Religion,
State & Society
Journal
of Religious Ethics
American
Academy of Religion Syllabi Search
Religion
and Constitutional Law
Eric Michael Mazur
Bucknell University
Religion
and Education (Thorough Law)
Eric Michael Mazur
Bucknell University
Law
and Religion in the United States
Francis J. Beckwith
Baylor University
Law
and Religion in the Contemporary United
States
Bill Long
Jewish
Law and American Legal Theory
Professor Suzanne Last Stone and Rabbi Ozer
Glickman
Yeshiva University
Association of Muslim Lawyers
Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association
Christian Academics
Christian Law Association
Christian Legal Society
International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists
Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship UK
Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights
National Association of Muslim Lawyers
Religion in the Workplace Law
ReligionLink Religion in the workplace legislation
Religious Accommodation in the Workplace (Anti-Defamation League)
• Also see listing for Business
• See a full list of professional associations and resources here.
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