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Sex, Marriage, and Family, and the Religions of the Book: Modern Problems, Enduring Solutions

Convened by CSLR Director John Witte, Jr., Don S. Browning of the University of Chicago, and Steven M. Tipton of Emory University, this international conference was the culmination of a project on Sex, Marriage, and Family, and the Religions of the Book. The conference brought together public intellectuals, policy-makers, and scholarly leaders to discuss covenant marriage, in-vitro fertilization, contraception, adoption, abortion, same-sex marriage, rising rates of divorce and children born to single mothers, the absence of African American fathers, and inter-religious marriages.

Michael Broyde: Marital Pluralism

Robert M. Franklin: Where's Dad? Fatherhood in African American Families

Panel: The Teachings of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Scriptures

David Novak, Aziza al-Hibri, and Luke Timothy Johnson discuss what the scriptures say about sex, marriage, and family. Steven M. Tipton chairs. 

Amitai Etzioni: Sex in a Religious Libertarian and Communitarian Perspective

Other presentations

"Adoption: Legal, Theological, and Ethical Challenges," John C. Mayoue, Warner, Mayoue, Bates, Nolen & Collar, P.C.; Stephen G. Post, Case Western Reserve University; Stephen B. Presser, Northwestern University; Ann M. Stanton, Arizona State University

"Authorizing Marriage? Canon, Tradition, and Critique in the Blessing of Same-sex Unions," Mark D. Jordan, Dale Martin, Yale University; Saul Olyan, Brown University; Mary Ann Tolbert, Pacific School of Religion

"Covenant Marriage: History, Theology, Public Policy," James Turner Johnson, Rutgers University; Michael G. Lawler, Creighton University; Katherine Shaw Spaht, Louisiana State University; Max L. Stackhouse, Princeton Theological Seminary

"Happily Ever After? Sex, Marriage, and Family in National and Global Profile," Don S. Browning, Jean Bethke Elshtain, University of Chigago; Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University

"I Do, I Don't: The Cases For and Against Marriage," Martha Albertson Fineman, William J. Doherty, University of Minnesota; Linda J. Waite, University of Chicago

"Images of Women in the Bible," David R. Blumenthal

"Interreligious Marriage: Three Muslim Case Studies," Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im

"Is There Any Place Like Home?" Bradd Shore, Ann Swidler, University of California at Berkeley

"The Jewish Family in America: Secular Challenges and Traditional Resources," Elliot Dorff, University of Judaism

"Living Alone: The Vocation of Singleness and Celibacy," Patrick M. Brennan, Arizona State University

"Luck, Obedience, and the Vocation of Childhood," John E. Coons, University of California at Berkeley

"Maimonides: Science Generates Faith," Michael S. Berger, David R. Blumenthal

"Sex and the American Catholic Church," Luke Timothy Johnson

"Sex, Marriage, and Family: The Challenges of the New Century," Martin E. Marty, Rebecca S. Chopp, Colgate University

"Sex, Marriage, and Hugh of St. Victor," Philip L. Reynolds

"Social Justice and Public Policy for Latino Families in the United States," Joseph M. Palacios, S.J., Georgetown University

"Spouses and Citizens: Should Marriage be a Civil Status," Mary Lyndon Shanley, Vassar College

"Suffer the Children? Contraception, Abortion, Reproductive Stewardship," Carol J. Rowland Hogue, Sherryl H. Goodman, Emory University; Brent Philip Waters, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Center

"The Teachings of Indian Hindu Tradition," Werner Menski, University of London; Vasudha Narayanan, University of Florida; Veena Talwar Oldenburg, City University of New York

"The Teachings of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Scriptures," Luke Timothy Johnson, David Novak, University of Toronto; Azizah al-Hibri, University of Richmond

"The Teachings of Nature, Religion, and Tradition," Robert N. Bellah, University of California at Berkeley; Frans B. de Waal, Emory University

"The Teachings of Nature," Stephen J. Pope, F. Russell Hittinger

"The Teachings of the Indian Muslim Traditions," Sona Khan, Advocate, Supreme Court of India

"The Teachings of the Western Christian Tradition," R. H. Helmholz, University of Chicago; Steven E. Ozment, Harvard University

"The Theory of Love: Ibn Da'ud al-Zahiri's Book of the Flower," Devin J. Stewart

"Trends in Dating, Mating, and Union Formation Among Young Adults," Barbara DaFoe Whitehead, National Marriage Project, Rutgers University

"Who Decides? State, Religion, and the Future of Family Policy," Margaret F. Brinig, University of Iowa; Wade F. Horn, Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families; Frank Keating, Former Governor, State of Oklahoma; Lee E. Teitelbaum, Cornell University

"Why American Households Are Changing: What Difference Does it Make?," Claude S. Fischer, University of California at Berkeley; Robert T. Michael, University of Chicago

"The Wisdom of the Ancient Greeks: Antigone," David J. Cohen, University of California at Berkeley; Sarah Iles Johnston, Ohio State University; H. Alan Shapiro, Johns Hopkins University

"Marriage à la Mode: Answering the Advocates of Same-sex Marriage," March 28, 2003, Katherine Young, McGill University; Paul Nathanson, McGill University

"Reconstructing Marriage in Nineteenth-Century African America," Frances Smith Foster

"Religion as a Resource in Making Family Policy," William A. Galston, University of Maryland; Jeffrey L. Stout, Princeton University