Welcome to CSLR
Founded in 1982, CSLR at Emory University is the premier center for the study of law and religion. We have published more than 350 books, convened scores of interdisciplinary conferences, and offer six joint-degree programs.
The mission of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion is to produce and promote path-breaking scholarship, teaching, and public programs on the interaction of law and religion around the world.
A Conversation with Jeffrey B. Hammond
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.
Tara Farkouh Receives Emory Student Employee of the Year Award
Sponsored by the National Student Employment Association, Student Employee of the Year is a national competition that begins at the campus level. Tara, a senior in the College majoring in International Studies and Sociology, was chosen from a competitive pool of student employees across Emory University and we are proud to congratulate her for this well-deserved honor.
Job Opening: Market Researcher for Law and Ministry Study
CSLR is conducting a large-scale study to better understand how Christian clergy in the United States interact with the law. As not-for-profit organizations, churches are governed by a wide range of local, state, and federal laws, including employment laws, tax laws, constitutional law, property laws, and more. The upcoming phase of this study will focus on understanding if and how the leaders of these organizations learn about the laws and regulations that affect their ministries.
Silas Allard Receives Young Alumni Award from Emory Law
CSLR Student Employee Spotlight
Emory attracts some of the brightest and most promising students in the world. Our student team contributes substantially to every aspect of our work – from research and teaching to publications and digital scholarship. We benefit from a wide range of student expertise and learn from them on a regular basis. Many of our researchers are pursuing law degrees at Emory Law School, but others are future theologians, anthropologists, computer scientists, health experts, business majors, and more. We asked them to share some of their experiences and perspectives on working at the center, and are proud to share their responses below.
Broyde and Pill Publish New Book on Law and Judaism
CSLR sat down with Professor Michael Broyde to talk about his newest book with Dr. Shlomo Pill: Setting the Table: An Introduction to the Jurisprudence of Rabbi Yechiel Mikhel Epstein’s Arukh HaShulhan.
“In this fascinating work, Broyde and Pill...bring to life the intellectual choices made by the Arukh Hashulkhan, situating their work within the long history of attempts to codify Jewish law. ...This is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of rabbinic jurisprudence.”
— Suzanne Last Stone, Professor of Law, Cardozo Law School, University Professor of Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization, Yeshiva University
Dr. Charlotte McDaniel Reflects on Creating a New Award to Advance Human Rights
Fighting for Justice as Lawyer, Scholar, and Teacher
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.
Dr. Audra Savage serves as a Senior Lecturer in Law at Emory Law School and McDonald Distinguished Fellow in Law and Religion at the Center for the Study of Religion. A successful corporate lawyer, her life and work have long been animated by a deep sense of justice and Christian faith. Savage is known by her students as an exceptional teacher, mentor, and anti-racism advocate. We sat down with Dr. Savage (virtually) to learn more about her research, faith, and vision for a more just society.
The CSLR Study on Law and Ministry
Ministry is hard. From preaching, teaching, and counseling to managing the finances, maintenance, and daily operations of a church, Christian leaders play many roles in their communities. Yet few faith leaders are trained to handle the legal issues that impact nearly everything they do, from hiring employees to dealing with taxes, property disputes, financial oversight, religious schools, and more.
The CSLR Study on Law and Ministry in the United States is conducting a nationwide survey to learn how church leaders experience and address common legal issues affecting their ministries. We are listening to people around the country to hear how state, local, and federal laws affect Christian organizations and ministries on a day-to-day basis.
Are you a pastor, lay leader, church officer, board member, or other leader of Christian ministry?
A Holistic Approach to Law and Islam
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
Dr. Rahimjon Abdugafurov is a postdoctoral fellow in Islamic legal studies at CSLR, where he serves as a senior lecturer and deputy director of the Law and Islam program. Abdugafurov speaks seven languages and received his PhD from Emory’s Islamic Civilizations Studies Program with an additional certificate in Jewish Studies from the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies. He co-produced a documentary film entitled, “Bukharan Jews: Memories of a Disappearing Past,” and has published articles on Sufism, Islamic law, and Central Asian studies.
Remembering Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Remembering Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
The Center for the Study of Law and Religion is mourning the loss of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020). Rabbi Sacks was a prominent figure and a widely respected leader in the religious world. As an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, he was a prominent voice on questions of modern religion, morality, and religious inclusivity. His many contributions to the literature on Jewish law and religion include his 2014 article in the Journal of Law and Religion where he discussed the notion of happiness from a Jewish perspective. In 2010, he joined a panel of Jewish leaders at CSLR to talk about happiness and the Jewish tradition. You can watch his full remarks below.
Pioneering Scholarship for Social Transformation
As part of a new series of discussions with distinguished alumni working at the intersections of law and religion in academic, legal, and religious professions, CSLR Alumna Dr. Roslyn Satchel reflects on critical engagement with the real world and real people.
“Already as a student in our Center Roslyn Satchel made bold and prescient contributions to a better understanding of law, religion, and racial justice both at home and abroad,” CSLR Director John Witte, Jr. says. “It’s wonderful to see her marvelous work on these themes continue to expand to the edification of us all.”
"In general, my scholarship examines the ideological implications of legal, media, and religious discourse with a particular interest in issues of race, gender, class, ability, age, ethnicity, status, sexual orientation, and religious affiliation. My JD and MDiv from Emory availed me of countless professional opportunities, but more important were the critical thinking and research skills, questions, concepts, epistemologies, laws, and ethics learned during my experience as a CSLR student." – CSLR Alumna Dr. Rosyln Satchel
Gary Hauk receives GHRAC Award for Excellence in Research
On October 15th, 2020, CSLR Senior Editor Dr. Gary S. Hauk received the "Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of an Archive" award by the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council for his new book Emory as Place: Meaning in A University Landscape.
Gary has been a pillar of the Emory community for thirty years and is the university’s renowned Historian Emeritus. He is senior editorial consultant at CSLR and a longtime board member and officer of Georgia Humanities. In addition to his most recent, award-winning, book — Emory as Place: Meaning in A University Landscape — Gary is the author of A Legacy of Heart and Mind: Emory since 1836 and Religion and Reason Joined: Candler at One Hundred.
The Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC) was created in 1993 to ensure that Georgians of all ages are made aware of the significant historical records located statewide, enhances the preservation and care of these treasures, and improves the access that Georgians have to their records.
Dr. An-Na'im Named "Great Immigrant" by Carnegie Corporation
The Center for the Study of Law and Religion is delighted to announce that Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im has been selected as a “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. An-Na’im is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law, and Director of CSLR’s program in Law and Islam.
Each year, the Carnegie Corporation recognizes extraordinary immigrants from around the world who have “made notable contributions to the progress of American society.”
CSLR Welcomes Eric Wang
The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University is proud to welcome the latest Woodruff Fellow and JD/MTS joint degree student, Mr. Eric Wang. A summa cum laude graduate from Princeton University, Eric is currently pursuing a Master of Theological Studies degree at Candler School of Theology. He will join CSLR and the Law School in the fall to pursue his JD.
Video Spotlight: Public Health and the Jewish Tradition
Michael J. Broyde sat down on March 18, 2020 to discuss public health and the Jewish tradition in the midst of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, he discusses the relationship between public health experts and religious authorities, the difference between one's duties to self and community, and what the Jewish tradition can offer in times of public health emergencies.
Alonzo McDonald Passes Away at 91
Alonzo McDonald 48C, a longtime friend and generous benefactor of Emory’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion (CSLR) has passed away, on Nov. 21, 2019. He was 91. “The world has lost one of its great leaders of church, state, society, and economy,” Witte said. “We join his extended family and global network of friends both in mourning Al McDonald’s death and in celebrating his remarkable life of faith and works. We will sorely miss his deep wisdom, generosity, tenacity, discipline, and integrity – and his incisive and insightful questions at our conferences. The saints in heaven have just met their match.”