Legal Spirits

In this episode, Center Director Mark Movsesian interviews journalist Daniel McCarthy on his recent essay in Modern Age, “The Other Nones.” Dan argues that the decline of traditional Christianity in the West hasn’t led to the age of rationalism and progress that many secularists predicted, but instead to an age of entropy, in which people… The post Legal Spirits 059: Daniel McCarthy on “the Other Nones” appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

First performed 400 years ago, William Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” addresses an enduring human dilemma. No society can safely exist without law, but law itself depends on human judgment, which is prone to error and corruption. In this episode, Center Director Mark Movsesian and Northwestern Law Professor John McGinnis discuss this great but problematic play… The post Legal Spirits 058: Law & Justice in Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

In this episode, Center Director Mark Movsesian interviews historian Richard Brookhiser (left) about his new documentary, “Free Exercise: America’s Story of Religious Liberty.” How have minority religions tested and shaped America’s commitment to religious freedom over the centuries–and how has America changed those religions in return? From the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657 until now, it… The post Legal Spirits 057: Historian Richard Brookhiser on Religious Freedom in America appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

In this episode, we discuss a bill pending in New York that would require future fast food restaurants at rest stops on the State Thruway to open seven days a week. The bill expressly targets Chick-fil-A, which closes on Sundays in line with the owners’ religious commitments. Does the bill violate Chick-fil-A’s free exercise rights… The post Legal Spirits 056: Can the NY State Thruway Ban Chick-fil-A? appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

In a TV interview last month, House Speaker Mike Johnson raised eyebrows by asserting that Framers welcomed religion in public life and that the Establishment Clause protects religion from the encroachment of government, not the other way around. In this podcast, we show how Johnson was both right and wrong. Many Framers shared his view,… The post Legal Spirits 055: Speaker Mike Johnson on the Separation of Church and State appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

Recently, many people have been talking about classical law–specifically whether classical law, with its focus on Christian universals and natural law concepts, can make a comeback in American law schools. Will classical law have traction in an academy dominated by positivism, law-and-economics, and critical theories? Would it be a good thing if it did? We’re… The post Legal Spirits 054: Is Classical Law Due for a Comeback? appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

Welcome back! In our first Legal Spirits episode of the academic year, we interview our friend, law professor Tom Berg (University of St. Thomas) about his new book, Religious Liberty in a Polarized Age. We explore how fights about religious liberty both reflect and contribute to the deep social division in the US today–but also… The post Legal Spirits 053: Tom Berg on Religious Liberty in a Polarized Age appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

In our traditional end-of-term wrap up, Marc and Mark discuss the Supreme Court’s decisions in two cases: Groff v. DeJoy, the Title VII religious accommodations case, and 303 Creative v. Elenis, the website designer case. Were these simple cases masquerading as complicated ones? Do they suggest the Court is rethinking its views on free speech,… The post Legal Spirits 052: SCOTUS Decides Groff and 303 Creative appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

In this episode, Marc and Mark offer some thoughts about the Biden Administration Department of Education’s guidance issued earlier this month (the first since 2020) on prayer and religious expression in public schools. The new guidance largely avoids much discussion of the newest Supreme Court decision on the matter, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, and… The post Legal Spirits 051: The Biden Administration’s Guidance on Prayer in Public Schools appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

In this episode, Marc and Mark discuss the background and recent oral argument before the Supreme Court in Groff v. DeJoy, a case about religious accommodation in the workplace under Title VII. The case involves a postal worker who observes Sunday sabbath and who was disciplined by the United States Postal Service after a dispute… The post Legal Spirits 050: Groff v. DeJoy and Religious Accommodation in the Workplace appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.