Podcast appearances and mentions of john witte jr

The John Witte, Jr. Lecture Series on Christianity & Law is here! A new venture from Christian Legal Society aimed at advancing the conversation on the integration of Christianity & law. In our inaugural lecture inspired by the Dutch Golden Age painters, we venture into the future of Christian jurisprudence with John Witte, Jr. himself. His remarks focus on the future of Christianity and law, with reference to a few of his recent articles on domestic and international religious freedom (provided here and here). He was joined by Professor John Inazu (Wash. U. School of Law) for a period of Q&A after the lecture. His new book comes out in April so pre-order today (here). Also check out his Substack here. Finally, if you would like to hear the introductions and concluding remarks, go here. For more on John's publications, check out his website here. SPONSOR: The Witte Lectures are sponsored by TRINITY LAW SCHOOL. SOUND: Special thanks to Josh Deng for his technical support in getting this audio ready.  MUSIC: Prelude No. 2 by Chris Zabriskie.

Today's guest is John Witte, Jr. — Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law, McDonald Distinguished Professor of Religion, and Faculty Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. A specialist in Legal History, Human Rights, Religious Freedom, Marriage and Family Law, and Law and Religion, he has published more than 300 articles, 19 journal symposia, and 45 books. As the latest addition to this large body of work, Witte's new book —Table Talks—is a collection of short reflections on what he calls “the weightier matters of law and religion.” It was published Open Access through Brill Academic Press earlier this year and is intended for both law students and the broader public.In this conversation, we talk with John about the inspiration for the book, his advice for students, and the role of academics in public discourse, among other topics. Table Talks (Open Access): https://brill.com/display/title/64126 John Witte, Jr. faculty page: https://law.emory.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/witte-profile.html John Witte, Jr. website: https://www.johnwittejr.com/ CSLR Website: https://cslr.law.emory.edu/

Today, we continue our summer series looking into the essays in a brand new volume entiteld Christianity and Constitutionalism (Oxford University Press 2023) (PURCHASE HERE). In this episode, we discuss the essay from Professor John Witte, Jr. on the Protestant Reformers and their contribution to the development of constitutionalism. John is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law and one of the preeminent scholars on the confluence of Christianity and law. He has written more books that I can count, recently including The Blessings of Liberty: Human Rights and Religous Freedom in the Western Legal Tradition (here) and Church, State, and Family: Reconciling Traditional Teachings and Modern Liberties (here). Last year, he delivered his Gifford Lecture at the University of Aberdeen on a new calvinist tradition of rights (watch). His complete inventory of publications can be mined here. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A special thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible. Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY.

Can a distinction between the religious and governmental realms hashed out in the sixteenth century be remotely useful for us today? Well, we give it an honest try. If in the past the danger was religion invading the realm of the state and making use of violent coercion to advance its ultimate goals, today the danger (at least in the parts of the world we've lived in) is the other way around: the state attempting to assert itself in realms of conscience, mind, and ultimate salvation. We explore totalizing ideologies and share our insights on how to keep on distinguishing the two kingdoms for the good of all people, whatever their religion or politics. Notes: 1. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes about secularism and the French vs. American revolutions in “Inheritance and Decay” in Ethics 2. Alasdair MacIntyre observes how “we’re all liberals now” in Whose Justice? Which Rationality? 3. John Locke’s political essays mentioned in this episode are the Second Treatise on Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration 4. Dad calls Robert Benne a liberal in his essay “Luther and Liberalism” in A Report from the Front Lines: Conversations on Public Theology, A Festschrift in Honor of Robert Benne 5. John Witte Jr. discusses early Lutheran political theology in Law and Protestantism: The Legal Teachings of the Lutheran Reformation 6. Robert P. Ericksen, Theologians under Hitler 7. Martin Luther reminds us that the kingdom of God will come regardless of our efforts or obstructions in the Small Catechism 8. The excerpt of the song goes “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss,” and it’s from “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who. If you didn’t already know that, you should probably drop everything and go listen to the album Who’s Next 9. Here’s a link to info about the memoir I mentioned (still forthcoming, but if you sign up for my Theology & a Recipe e-newsletter you’ll be notified about publication details… plus, of course, you’ll get Theology & a Recipe), as well as an article I wrote called “A Primer on Luther’s Politics” More about us at sarahhinlickywilson.com and paulhinlicky.com!

John Witte, Jr.'s The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy (Cambridge University Press, 2018) is an extensively researched book showcasing the author's deep knowledge and experience in the field of family and religious law. It traces the legal origins of European monogamy from the classical period to the present. Originally conceived as a brief for an advisory opinion to a Canadian court, Witte transformed this assignment into a work that not only explores the history of European marital law, but argues that monogamy is positive for society. It considers not just the legal, but also the moral and religious arguments for this institution. He joins us from Atlanta. Jeffrey Bristol is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Boston University and a JD candidate at the University of Michigan Law School.  

John Witte, Jr.'s The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy (Cambridge University Press, 2018) is an extensively researched book showcasing the author's deep knowledge and experience in the field of family and religious law. It traces the legal origins of European monogamy from the classical period to the present. Originally conceived as a brief for an advisory opinion to a Canadian court, Witte transformed this assignment into a work that not only explores the history of European marital law, but argues that monogamy is positive for society. It considers not just the legal, but also the moral and religious arguments for this institution. He joins us from Atlanta. Jeffrey Bristol is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Boston University and a JD candidate at the University of Michigan Law School.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Witte, Jr.'s The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy (Cambridge University Press, 2018) is an extensively researched book showcasing the author's deep knowledge and experience in the field of family and religious law. It traces the legal origins of European monogamy from the classical period to the present. Originally conceived as a brief for an advisory opinion to a Canadian court, Witte transformed this assignment into a work that not only explores the history of European marital law, but argues that monogamy is positive for society. It considers not just the legal, but also the moral and religious arguments for this institution. He joins us from Atlanta. Jeffrey Bristol is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Boston University and a JD candidate at the University of Michigan Law School.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Witte, Jr.'s The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy (Cambridge University Press, 2018) is an extensively researched book showcasing the author's deep knowledge and experience in the field of family and religious law. It traces the legal origins of European monogamy from the classical period to the present. Originally conceived as a brief for an advisory opinion to a Canadian court, Witte transformed this assignment into a work that not only explores the history of European marital law, but argues that monogamy is positive for society. It considers not just the legal, but also the moral and religious arguments for this institution. He joins us from Atlanta. Jeffrey Bristol is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Boston University and a JD candidate at the University of Michigan Law School.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Witte, Jr.'s The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy (Cambridge University Press, 2018) is an extensively researched book showcasing the author's deep knowledge and experience in the field of family and religious law. It traces the legal origins of European monogamy from the classical period to the present. Originally conceived as a brief for an advisory opinion to a Canadian court, Witte transformed this assignment into a work that not only explores the history of European marital law, but argues that monogamy is positive for society. It considers not just the legal, but also the moral and religious arguments for this institution. He joins us from Atlanta. Jeffrey Bristol is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Boston University and a JD candidate at the University of Michigan Law School.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Witte, Jr.'s The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy (Cambridge University Press, 2018) is an extensively researched book showcasing the author's deep knowledge and experience in the field of family and religious law. It traces the legal origins of European monogamy from the classical period to the present. Originally conceived as a brief for an advisory opinion to a Canadian court, Witte transformed this assignment into a work that not only explores the history of European marital law, but argues that monogamy is positive for society. It considers not just the legal, but also the moral and religious arguments for this institution. He joins us from Atlanta. Jeffrey Bristol is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Boston University and a JD candidate at the University of Michigan Law School.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Witte, Jr.'s The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy (Cambridge University Press, 2018) is an extensively researched book showcasing the author's deep knowledge and experience in the field of family and religious law. It traces the legal origins of European monogamy from the classical period to the present. Originally conceived as a brief for an advisory opinion to a Canadian court, Witte transformed this assignment into a work that not only explores the history of European marital law, but argues that monogamy is positive for society. It considers not just the legal, but also the moral and religious arguments for this institution. He joins us from Atlanta. Jeffrey Bristol is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Boston University and a JD candidate at the University of Michigan Law School.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This five-week series will take a closer look at the church’s relation to five key issues, each of which has defined and expressed the very nature of its attitudes toward human rights: (1) Slavery, not just a nightmare in the past; (2) War and Violence; (3) Gender and Sexual Abuse; (4) Nazis and White Supremists; (5) Human Rights in the Current Political Climate. This series continues the season’s emphasis on the Protestant Church by focusing on its historical and current reaction to issues related to Human Rights and Dignity. According to John Witte Jr., in his article, "Law, Religion, and Human Rights: A Historical Protestant Perspective," "Human rights are, in substantial part, the modern political fruits of ancient religious beliefs and practices - ancient Jewish constructions of covenant and mitzvot, ancient Qu'ranic texts on peace and the common good, Roman Catholic canon law concepts of ius and libertas, classic Protestant ideals of freedom and conscience. Religious communities must be open to a new human rights hermeneutic - fresh methods of interpreting their sacred texts and traditions that will allow them both to reclaim the long-obscured roles that their traditions have played in the cultivation of human rights in the past and to lay claim to familiar principles and practices within these traditions that are conducive to the development of human rights in the future" (The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Fall, 1998), pp. 257-262.)

This five-week series will take a closer look at the church’s relation to five key issues, each of which has defined and expressed the very nature of its attitudes toward human rights: (1) Slavery, not just a nightmare in the past; (2) War and Violence; (3) Gender and Sexual Abuse; (4) Nazis and White Supremists; (5) Human Rights in the Current Political Climate. This series continues the season’s emphasis on the Protestant Church by focusing on its historical and current reaction to issues related to Human Rights and Dignity. According to John Witte Jr., in his article, "Law, Religion, and Human Rights: A Historical Protestant Perspective," "Human rights are, in substantial part, the modern political fruits of ancient religious beliefs and practices - ancient Jewish constructions of covenant and mitzvot, ancient Qu'ranic texts on peace and the common good, Roman Catholic canon law concepts of ius and libertas, classic Protestant ideals of freedom and conscience. Religious communities must be open to a new human rights hermeneutic - fresh methods of interpreting their sacred texts and traditions that will allow them both to reclaim the long-obscured roles that their traditions have played in the cultivation of human rights in the past and to lay claim to familiar principles and practices within these traditions that are conducive to the development of human rights in the future" (The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Fall, 1998), pp. 257-262.)

This five-week series will take a closer look at the church’s relation to five key issues, each of which has defined and expressed the very nature of its attitudes toward human rights: (1) Slavery, not just a nightmare in the past; (2) War and Violence; (3) Gender and Sexual Abuse; (4) Nazis and White Supremists; (5) Human Rights in the Current Political Climate. This series continues the season’s emphasis on the Protestant Church by focusing on its historical and current reaction to issues related to Human Rights and Dignity. According to John Witte Jr., in his article, "Law, Religion, and Human Rights: A Historical Protestant Perspective," "Human rights are, in substantial part, the modern political fruits of ancient religious beliefs and practices - ancient Jewish constructions of covenant and mitzvot, ancient Qu'ranic texts on peace and the common good, Roman Catholic canon law concepts of ius and libertas, classic Protestant ideals of freedom and conscience. Religious communities must be open to a new human rights hermeneutic - fresh methods of interpreting their sacred texts and traditions that will allow them both to reclaim the long-obscured roles that their traditions have played in the cultivation of human rights in the past and to lay claim to familiar principles and practices within these traditions that are conducive to the development of human rights in the future" (The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Fall, 1998), pp. 257-262.)

This five-week series will take a closer look at the church’s relation to five key issues, each of which has defined and expressed the very nature of its attitudes toward human rights: (1) Slavery, not just a nightmare in the past; (2) War and Violence; (3) Gender and Sexual Abuse; (4) Nazis and White Supremists; (5) Human Rights in the Current Political Climate. This series continues the season’s emphasis on the Protestant Church by focusing on its historical and current reaction to issues related to Human Rights and Dignity. According to John Witte Jr., in his article, "Law, Religion, and Human Rights: A Historical Protestant Perspective," "Human rights are, in substantial part, the modern political fruits of ancient religious beliefs and practices - ancient Jewish constructions of covenant and mitzvot, ancient Qu'ranic texts on peace and the common good, Roman Catholic canon law concepts of ius and libertas, classic Protestant ideals of freedom and conscience. Religious communities must be open to a new human rights hermeneutic - fresh methods of interpreting their sacred texts and traditions that will allow them both to reclaim the long-obscured roles that their traditions have played in the cultivation of human rights in the past and to lay claim to familiar principles and practices within these traditions that are conducive to the development of human rights in the future" (The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Fall, 1998), pp. 257-262.)

This five-week series will take a closer look at the church’s relation to five key issues, each of which has defined and expressed the very nature of its attitudes toward human rights: (1) Slavery, not just a nightmare in the past; (2) War and Violence; (3) Gender and Sexual Abuse; (4) Nazis and White Supremists; (5) Human Rights in the Current Political Climate. This series continues the season’s emphasis on the Protestant Church by focusing on its historical and current reaction to issues related to Human Rights and Dignity. According to John Witte Jr., in his article, "Law, Religion, and Human Rights: A Historical Protestant Perspective," "Human rights are, in substantial part, the modern political fruits of ancient religious beliefs and practices - ancient Jewish constructions of covenant and mitzvot, ancient Qu'ranic texts on peace and the common good, Roman Catholic canon law concepts of ius and libertas, classic Protestant ideals of freedom and conscience. Religious communities must be open to a new human rights hermeneutic - fresh methods of interpreting their sacred texts and traditions that will allow them both to reclaim the long-obscured roles that their traditions have played in the cultivation of human rights in the past and to lay claim to familiar principles and practices within these traditions that are conducive to the development of human rights in the future" (The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Fall, 1998), pp. 257-262.)

Nov. 5, 2015. Legal scholar John Witte Jr. discussed how the Protestant Reformation transformed not only theology and the church but also law and the state. Drawing on new biblical and classical learning, Protestant theologians and jurists brought sweeping changes to constitutional order, criminal law, family law, and the laws of education and social welfare. This lecture, offered in anticipation of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's Reformation, explored the Reformation's enduring impact, for better or worse, on Western life, law and learning. Speaker Biography: John Witte Jr. is Kluge Chair in Countries and Cultures of the North and Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law, McDonald Distinguished Professor, and Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=7131

Dec. 9, 2014. Scholars, historians and contemporary thinkers discuss how Magna Carta's political and legal traditions have carried into our current times at this symposium, Conversations on the Enduring Legacy of the Great Charter, held in conjunction with the Library's exhibition, "Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor." Speakers included law professors John Witte Jr. and Alonzo L. McDonald. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6621

Legal scholar John Witte Jr. discusses how Western legal systems grapple with non-state-based, family-law systems such as Sharia, Halacha and Canon Law. Witte predicts that the Western-legal-system handling of Sharia will become hotly politicized in America in the next few years, as has happened recently in Canada and the United Kingdom. He believes scholarship can aid in widening the conversation surrounding a potentially inflammatory topic. Speaker Biography: John Witte Jr. Witte is the Jonas Robitscher Professor of Law, Alonzo L. McDonald Distinguished Service Professor and director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion Center at Emory University. He has published 220 articles, 15 journal symposia and 26 books, including recently "Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment" and "Sex, Marriage and Family Life in John Calvin???s Geneva." With major funding from the Pew, Ford, Lilly, Luce, and McDonald foundations, Witte has directed 12 major international research projects on democracy, human rights and religious liberty, and on marriage, family and children. He has been selected 11 times by Emory law students as the Most Outstanding Professor and has won dozens of other awards and prizes for his teaching and research. In 2012 he served as the Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in Ethics and American History at the Library's John W. Kluge Center. For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5943

John Witte Jr. discussed the history of the West's predilection for monogamy over polygamy. For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5917

John Witte Jr, is the Jonas Robitscher Professor of Law, Alonzo L. McDonald Distinguished Professor and the direction of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. In this lecture, Witte speaks about the contributions made by Protestant Reformers in the understanding of human rights. This lecture took place in Goodson Chapel at Duke's Divinity School on March 15, 2012.

Legal historian John Witte, Jr. discusses why the positivist view of law has become less compelling. Like his mentor, the late Harold Berman, Witte argues that the key to understanding Western law lies in identifying the rich, early Western dialogue between religious and secular institutions; and it requires an understanding of the ways in which legal authority shifted between church and state throughout history. Similarly, Witte argues that because legal jurisdiction in various matters has shifted from the church to the state, religious presuppositions are still a part of the vocabulary Westerners have always used to define the meaning and limits of the law. If Witte’s formulation is correct, then the consistency of the Western legal system relies upon this strong interplay between secular and religious insights; the prevailing view since the Western Enlightenment, that laws can be described in purely “secular” terms, has had the effect of unravelling the substance of the Western legal tapestry originally woven from threads of secular and religious thought.

John Witte, Jr., Director, Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University, explores a new issue of religious freedom and family law that is now confronting many Western democracies: to what extent may Islamic and other religious communities have the freedom to develop their own internal religious laws to govern the sex, marriage, and family lives of their voluntary faithful. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 21039]

John Witte, Jr., Director, Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University, explores a new issue of religious freedom and family law that is now confronting many Western democracies: to what extent may Islamic and other religious communities have the freedom to develop their own internal religious laws to govern the sex, marriage, and family lives of their voluntary faithful. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 21039]

John Witte, Jr., Director, Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University, explores a new issue of religious freedom and family law that is now confronting many Western democracies: to what extent may Islamic and other religious communities have the freedom to develop their own internal religious laws to govern the sex, marriage, and family lives of their voluntary faithful. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 21039]

John Witte Jr. talks about natural law and religious freedom.

Jonas Robitscher Professor of Law and Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. He is the recipient of the 2008 National First Freedom Award for his contributions in advancing religious liberty in the United States. He is a specialist in legal history, marriage, religious liberty and the life of John Calvin. He is the author of 21 books and countless publications. He has won dozens of awards for his teaching and research. In this presentation he will address John Calvin's political legacy and its enduring lessons for us still today.

Miroslav Volf interviews John Witte, Jr. about human rights language in today's globalized world, the historical development of human rights law, and the enduring need of universal human rights discourse in contemporary society.