Canopy Forum

“Constitutions Address Religious Freedom, but Not as Much as Desired” by Dennis Petri and Jonathan Fox

Mar 27, 2025Canopy ForumEssaysConstitutional Law, Fox, Jonathan, March 2025, Petri, Dennis P., Religious Freedom

The Village Lawyer by Pieter Brueghel (US-PD). The following essay is reprinted and adapted on Canopy Forum in collaboration with the journal Derecho en Sociedad, a biannual electronic publication that is free and open access. See other essays in this series here. Although constitutions are often overlooked in practice, making them unreliable indicators of actual religious freedom, the widespread…

“In and Out of Church” by Steven Tipton

Mar 19, 2025Canopy ForumLiterature HighlightsChristianity, History, March 2025, Religious Freedom, Tipton, Steven

In and Out of ChurchSteven Tipton The following is an adapted excerpt from Steven Tipton’s new book, “In and Out of Church: The Moral Arc of Spiritual Change in America.” With permission from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2025. Freedom of conscience runs deep in the American grain of religious practice and belief all the way…

“The Wolf in Sheep’s Skin: Promises and Realities of Religious Freedom in China” by Grace Gaffet

Mar 14, 2025Canopy ForumEssaysAsia (Geography), Gaffet, Grace, March 2025, Religious Freedom, Secularism

Photo of Kaifeng North Mosque by Windmemories (CC BY-SA 4.0) The following essay is reprinted and adapted on Canopy Forum in collaboration with the journal Derecho en Sociedad, a biannual electronic publication that is free and open access. See other essays in this series here. Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Chinese Communist Party…

“Defining a Muslim; The Case of Pakistan and its Ahmadis” by Yasser Latif Hamdani

Mar 12, 2025Canopy ForumEssaysAsia (Geography), Constitutional Law, Hamdani, Yasser Latif, Islam, March 2025

Main chamber of Badshahi Mosque by User:Amjad.m (CC BY-SA 3.0) On January 16th, 2025, the government of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, demolished a historic Ahmadi mosque in the city of Daska. This mosque was built by Zafrullah Khan (1893-1985), Pakistan’s first foreign minister and one of the founding fathers of the country. This is…

“Boiling a Kid in its Mother’s Milk: Norms and Interpretations of Kashrut” by Atid Malka

Mar 7, 2025Canopy ForumEssaysJudaism, Malka, Atid, March 2025, North America (Geography), Religious Law and Legal Systems

Baby Goats Resting on the Road by Amaury Laporte (CC BY-SA 2.0). If anyone unfamiliar with Judaism were to be introduced to the concept of a kosher kitchen for the first time, they would likely raise questions. Why does the family have different dishes and cutlery for meat and dairy foods? While that may be…

“Blueberries, Constitutional Values, and Educational Equality: Religious Activists on the Purpose of Public Education” by Karey Harwood

Mar 5, 2025Canopy ForumLiterature HighlightsEducation, Harwood, Karey, March 2025, North America (Geography), Religious Freedom

Wake: Why the Battle Over Diverse Public Schools Still Matters Karey Harwood This essay is an adapted excerpt from the third chapter of Karey Harwood’s recently published book, Wake: Why The Battle Over Diverse Public Schools Still Matters (Rutgers University Press, 2024). Reprinted here with permission from Rutgers University Press. When asked to talk about…

“Open Marriages: A Jewish Couple’s Solution?” by Atid Malka

Feb 27, 2025Canopy ForumEssaysFebruary 2025, Judaism, Malka, Atid, North America (Geography), Religious Law and Legal Systems

Jewish Wedding by Wincenty Smokowski (1858, US-PD). Throughout the Pentateuch and subsequently in the books of the Prophets and Writings, readers are confronted with the existence of polygamous relationships – Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon, to name a mere few – but as of the eleventh century CE, Jewish men have been prohibited from taking…

“Freedom of Conscience and Religion in the Americas: Following OAS General Assembly Resolutions to Promote Pluralism and Strengthen Communities” by Emily Cole

Feb 19, 2025Canopy ForumSeriesCole, Emily, Human Rights / Civil Rights, Indigenous Religious Traditions, Latin America (Geography), Religious Freedom

The “Temple of the Sun” of Ingapirca, Ecuador by Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0) The following essay is reprinted and adapted on Canopy Forum in collaboration with the journal Derecho en Sociedad, a biannual electronic publication that is free and open access. See other essays in this series here. As Latin America and the Caribbean face increasing challenges related to…

“’No Idols In Our Town’: Competing for Religious Space in Kisumu, Kenya” by Esha Faki Mwinyihaji

Feb 14, 2025Canopy ForumEssaysAfrica (Geography), Constitutional Law, Mwinyihaji, Esha Faki, Religious Freedom, Sikhism

Photo of Kisumu Municipal Hall by (WT-fr) Omondi (CC BY-SA 3.0) Kisumu is a cosmopolitan city that lies on the shores of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya. The city is inhabited by the majority Luo ethnic group and other Kenyan ethnic groups as well as Arabs and Asians East Africa who work in the city…

“What Might Make Life Better?: On Character Formation, Ethical Education, and the Communication of Values in Late Modern Pluralistic Societies” by John Witte, Jr.

Feb 12, 2025Canopy ForumLiterature HighlightsChristianity, Ethics, February 2025, International Law, Witte Jr., John

What Might Make Life Better?: On Character Formation, Ethical Education, and the Communication of Values in Late Modern Pluralistic SocietiesJohn Witte, Jr. This essay is drawn from the fourth chapter of Michael Welker and John Witte, Jr.’s recently published book, What Might Make Life Better?: On Character Formation, Ethical Education, and the Communication of Values…

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