Canopy Forum is a digital publication from the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University that produces and delivers expert analysis to the broader community of digital consumers: citizens, scholars, lawyers, clergy, journalists, policy makers, and more.
CSLR Talks make innovative, interdisciplinary scholarship accessible to the public. Canopy Forum provides opportunities for emerging and established scholars in the field(s) of law and religion, broadly defined, to present their research in a TED-talk style format.
The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University holds conferences and events that draw thousands of participants from the far corners of the world. Explore recorded versions of our esteemed speakers here!
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…
In this talk, Randleman analyzes whether the level of commitment to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) influences effectiveness in increasing global women’s rights and how the relationship between religion and the state may limit the realization of women’s rights.
Racism is the lingering effect of the American holocaust of slavery. In this talk, Savage argues that the reason for the persistence of racism is embedded in the founding of America. By compromising on the issue of slavery, the Founding Fathers established a national civil religion based on racism.
The surge of white nationalist and anti-immigrant rhetoric during the Trump presidency can be explained through a “place-based” analysis. The reification of American identity by bolstering borders and restricting the means of legitimate entry is a result of changing notions of what constitutes the American “space” in an era of increasing globalization.
Is taxation an instrument of justice or simply a source of revenue? The contemporary American tax discussion vacillates between these two views. In this talk, Calhoun argues that taxation is uniquely positioned to balance competing considerations, such as equity and efficiency, and that this role comes from the Christian tradition.