Center for the Study of Law and Religion |

The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University (CSLR) is pleased to announce $2 million of new gifts from the McDonald Agape Foundation. This is the Foundation’s fifth major award to the Center over the past two decades, and these funds have helped to underwrite a long series of research projects, publications, and public programs in law and religion.

Law impacts the activities of religious believers, clergy, communities, and organizations in numerous seen and unseen ways. The attention of the American public is focused on the church—and its relationship to the state—now more than ever. In the past several years, many instances of clergy sexual abuse, financial crimes and tax fraud, employment disputes, organizational misgovernance, and property disputes have made national news headlines. This multi-year study of Law and Ministry in the United States (“Study”), begun in Spring 2020, was generously funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. and prepared by the Center for the Study of Law and Religion (“CSLR”) at Emory University.

CSLR is pleased to welcome Dr. Thomas Jared Farmer as McDonald Scholar in Residence. Jared will work closely with John Witte and Amy Wheeler on the planning and administration of the new McDonald Distinguished Senior Fellows program. He will also provide research support to John Witte and advance his own research agenda in the philosophy of religion.

We sat down with Jared to learn more about his path (back) to Emory and plans for the future.

On September 19, 2023 the Center for the Study of Law and Religion hosted a panel discussion of Emory Law faculty member Deepa Das Acevedo's forthcoming book, The Battle for Sabarimala: Religion, Law and Gender in Contemporary India (Oxford University Press). In addition to Deepa, panelists included Harshita Kamath (Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies), Sameena Mulla (Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), Don Seeman (Religion). Dean Bobinski provided opening remarks.

On April 28th, the Center for the Study of Law and Religion hosted a special webinar to celebrate “4o Years of the Journal of Law and Religion.” Silas Allard, Managing Editor of the Journal of Law and Religion and Harold J. Berman Fellow in Law and Religion at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University, welcomed supporters and friends to engage with several presentations on JLR’s long history. The journal has succeeded in offering the latest research in the field of law and religion for the past four decades. 

On May 22, 2023, Johan D. van der Vyver, I.T. Cohen Professor of International Law and Human Rights and affiliated faculty with the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, passed away at 89. Johan was a great friend, colleague, mentor, and teacher to many within the CSLR community and well beyond. Johan leaves a remarkable 65-year record of scholarship, advocacy, teaching, public lecturing, project leadership, and humane living in pursuit of justice and human rights for all.