Center for the Study of Law and Religion |

The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University is proud to announce the publication of Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment (5th edition) by John Witte, Jr., Joel A. Nichols, and Richard W. Garnett from Oxford University Press.

This accessible and authoritative introduction tells the American story of religious liberty from its colonial beginnings to the latest Supreme Court cases. The authors analyze closely the formation of the First Amendment religion clauses and describe the unique and enduring principles of the American experiment in religious freedom - liberty of conscience, free exercise of religion, religious equality, religious pluralism, separation of church and state, and no establishment of religion. Successive chapters map all of the 240+ Supreme Court cases on religious freedom - covering the free exercise of religion; the roles of government and religion in education; the place of religion in public life; and the interaction of religious organizations and the state. The concluding reflections argue that protecting religious freedom is critical for democratic order and constitutional rule of law, even if it needs judicious balancing with other fundamental rights and state interests.

On the last day of January, the Center for the Study of Law and Religion welcomed our newest colleague, Terri Montague, to Emory’s campus. An alumna of Emory Law School and Candler School of Theology, Montague is embarking on a three-year fellowship in residence at CSLR. During that time, she will conduct research, teach courses at the law school, and lead collaborative efforts to develop “large, bold, rational solutions” to some of the biggest challenges facing communities today.

We sat down with Professor Montague to learn about her path to Emory and her plans for the future. It was a fascinating conversation that ranged from her early role in developing the Atlanta BeltLine to her recent work at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and how religious faith has informed her life and career. We are delighted to share some of the highlights of that conversation below.

The Center for the Study of Law and Religion (CSLR) is pleased to announce the appointment of Terri Montague as McDonald Distinguished Senior Fellow at CSLR, and Senior Lecturer at Emory Law School.

Terri Montague is a multi-disciplinary scholar, attorney, and leader who joins Emory following a seven-year tenure in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where she served as program counsel for federal housing and community development grant programs and closed on $1.14 billion in federally-assisted and FHA-insured residential, mixed-use, and healthcare transactions. Most recently, Montague helped HUD develop guidance and tools to systematically embed an equity framework and redress inequities in HUD policies and programs, pursuant to the President’s Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.”

Online course dates:  January 18 — February 22, 2022.

Description: Loyalty is at the center of human life – and often death. It defines families and friendships, philosophies and faiths. It also creates enemies, divides nations, and inspires people to kill and die for their country or creed. The nature and force of our loyalties to different people, ideas, and things shapes virtually every aspect of our lives. In this course, Professor Mona Siddiqui explores the polyvalent meanings of ‘loyalty’ in Christian and Islamic thought. You will learn about: religious believers who resisted repressive governmental authorities and paid with their lives; the challenges facing countries where new forms of diversity conflict with dominant cultures; pursuing the ideals of beauty, joy, and truth in unjust societies; living out ancient religious traditions in modern situations; and more!

In the Fall of 2021, Dr. Philip L. Reynolds – a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Medieval Christianity, and Aquinas Professor of Historical Theology at Candler School of Theology – retired. For almost four decades, Reynolds has taught and published extensively in the field of historical theology. CSLR recently asked Dr. Reynolds to reflect on his career and life as a scholar. What led him to the field of historical theology? What did he learn along the way? What advice does he have for scholars who are at the early stages of their careers? Reynolds – who plans to devote his retirement to writing, gardening, and exploring rural landscapes in his native England – responded with characteristic insight, erudition, and wit.

We sat down with Jeffrey B. Hammond to learn more about his time at CSLR and his advice for current students. This interview is part of a new series of discussions with distinguished CSLR alumni working at the intersections of law and religion in academic, legal, and religious professions. Professor Hammond is an Associate Professor of Law at the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University. His research interests include law and religion, especially Christian theological intersections with Anglo-American law and Free Exercise and Establishment Clause theory, health law, and law and bioethics, especially end-of-life issues.

CSLR sat down with Dr. Allen Calhoun to talk about his newest book: "Tax Law, Religion, and Justice: An Exploration of Theological Reflections on Taxation."