Religion and the Constitution have a long and complex relationship. Those who drafted the Constitution and its amendments had varied and nuanced understandings of religion, which influenced their views of governance, liberty, and equality.
So when proponents of originalism argue that constitutional interpretation must follow its so-called original meaning, are they engaging with that nuance? Or have they replaced it with a politically motivated just-so story to promote a regressive and antidemocratic social agenda?
Join us at a live in-person event at Judson Memorial Church at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, for a timely discussion on the role religion has played in shaping originalist thought, as well as alternative approaches to understanding the Constitution and our relationship to it.
Produced with support from the Steven M. Polan Fellowship in Constitutional Law and History
Speakers:
- Terrence Johnson, Charles G. Adams Professor of African American Religious Studies, Harvard Divinity School; Steven M. Polan Fellow in Constitutional Law and History, Brennan Center
- Vincent L. Wimbush, Founding Director, Institute for Signifying Scriptures
- M. Cathleen Kaveny, Darald and Juliet Libby Millennium Professor, Boston College Law School
- Corey Brettschneider, Professor of Political Science, Brown University
- Moderator: Sewell Chan, Executive Editor, Columbia Journalism Review
Venue:
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012