Cover image: Portrait of John Locke by Godfrey Kneller, 1697. Wikimedia Commons. A new Locke manuscript comes to light in the United States. Philosophers have consequences – and few have been more consequential than John Locke (1632-1704). His Essay concerning Human Understanding (1689) was the first modern statement of empiricism, ranking alongside Newton’s Principia in significance…
Cover Image: Little Rock Nine Memorial. Little Rock, AR. Wikimedia Commons. We have witnessed a curious pattern emerging in many recent confirmation hearings for federal judicial nominees. Beginning first with the Senate confirmation hearings of nominee Wendy Vitter, recently appointed to a federal judgeship in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of…
While often viewed as opposing forces, law and spirituality are deeply connected. In this and other essays in this series, we explore some of the connections between legal and spiritual dimensions of human experience. Here, we note that spirituality can push legal systems to change; indeed, history suggests that legal systems evolve through spiritualization in…
This is Part 3 of a three-part series in which Elizabeth Shakman Hurd evaluates three common myths about U.S. foreign religion politics and policy. Read Part 1 and Part 2 here. Myth #3: Exceptionalism, American-style: Freedom at home, establishment abroad. The First Amendment of the US Constitution reads in part: “Congress shall make no law…
This is Part 2 of a three-part series in which Elizabeth Shakman Hurd evaluates three common myths about U.S. foreign religion politics and policy. Read Part 1 here. Myth #2: Religion used to be ignored in international affairs but it has returned. Things are looking up. Flourishing government religion bureaucracies reflect this coming to terms…
Americans are often told that the U.S. government and its allies are working to stamp out the forces of intolerance around the world by promoting religious freedom and combatting violent extremism. I’ve always been baffled by these assertions. What do they mean? What does this look like in practice? My book Beyond Religious Freedom is…
Welcome to Canopy Forum! Law and religion are two of the most complex and pervasive forces in human history. These two “different but interrelated … dimensions of social experience” continue to shape the lives of individuals and communities around the world. The mission of Canopy Forum is to foster deeper understandings of law, religion, and…
United States v. Nagarwala should have marked the beginning of the end for female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in the United States. Instead, after two contentious years in court, the case unraveled when a federal judge dismissed most of the charges against the defendants. In his 28-page ruling, District Judge Bernard A. Friedman ruled that Congress had exceeded its…
“Spiritual, but not religious” summarizes the religious orientation of many younger Americans. For years, those who care about theological education have puzzled over the declining interest by new college graduates in parish ministry and pastoral leadership. It has been a time of disruption and heartburn. If future generations are likely to be less interested in…