Interactions – A Law and Religion Podcast

In this episode we speak with Dr. Mark Storslee about his work on History and the school prayer cases. Mark Storslee is an Associate Professor of Law and McDonald Distinguished Fellow at Emory Law School. He holds many degrees, including a JD from Stanford Law School and a PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia. Storslee’s article, History and the School Prayer Cases was recently published in the Virginia Law Review and examines the Supreme Court’s rulings that prohibit state-sponsored prayer in public schools under the Establishment Clause, despite opt-outs for dissenters. In this episode, Whittney Barth and John Bernau join Mark to dive deeper into the history of these cases and talk about their implications for today's broader debates about government-sponsored prayer.

https://virginialawreview.org/articles/history-and-the-school-prayer-cases/

https://law.emory.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/storslee-profile.html

In this episode we speak Ariel Liberman, a legal scholar whose work touches on education through an interdisciplinary perspective, as well as inter-religious engagement and legal theory. Dr. Liberman has an SJD from Emory Law School, and currently serves as the Paul and Marion Kuntz Scholar in Law and Religion, the Director of Undergraduate Outreach and Engagement, and the Managing Editor of Canopy Forum. In January 2025, Liberman will join the Department of Political Science at Auburn University as Assistant Professor in Law and Legal Studies. In this episode, John Bernau and Whitney Barth, join Dr. Liberman to discuss his current book project on civic education, what we can learn from the Jewish tradition, effecting change in the political system, and his reflections on the effects of legal education for undergraduate students.

In this episode, we’re excited to welcome Alexa Windsor, a legal scholar and educator whose work focuses on the intersections of law and religion, contract law, and arbitration, especially in relation to gender and sexuality. Alexa Windsor is currently completing her SJD at Emory University School of Law. She has dedicated her research to exploring how contract law principles can be adapted for alternative dispute resolution in faith-based communities and for LGBTQ individuals. Her work brings fresh perspectives on religious freedom and inclusivity within legal frameworks. In this episode, we’ll discuss Alexa’s motivation to research these areas, her insights on the role of contract law in resolving conflicts within diverse communities, and her vision for inclusive legal practices.

In this season of Interactions, Whitney Barth and John Bernau engage with contemporary voices in the field to discuss recent works in law and religion. Today’s guest is Dr. Thomas Jared Farmer, the McDonald Scholar in residence at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. In this episode, Dr. Farmer talks about his motivation to write a biography about Gianni Vattimo, and the importance of Vattimo's contributions to modern western philosophical thought. This podcast is produced by the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University in collaboration with Canopy Forum.

Thomas Jared Farmer Faculty Page

Center for the Study of Law and Religion | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA

Canopy Forum

In this season of Interactions, Terri Montague, and Brandon Paradise, engage with contemporary leaders and social change agents regarding the influence and convergence of Christianity, the law, and racial justice. Today’s guest is Reverend Bernice King, the daughter of Corretta Scott and Martin Luther King Jr, a social activist in her own right and regularly speaks truth to power. Additionally, as the CEO of the King Center, Dr. King teaches the principles of nonviolent resistance, honors and shares her father’s legacy, and protects against its misuse. This podcast is produced by the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University in collaboration with Canopy Forum.

Bernice King: The King Center

Center for the Study of Law and Religion: Center for the Study of Law and Religion | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA

Canopy Forum: Canopy Forum

In this season of Interactions, Terri Montague, and Brandon Paradise, engage with contemporary leaders and social change agents regarding the influence and convergence of Christianity, the law, and racial justice. Today’s guest is Reverend Bernice King, the daughter of Corretta Scott and Martin Luther King Jr, a social activist in her own right and regularly speaks truth to power. Additionally, as the CEO of the King Center, Dr. King teaches the principles of nonviolent resistance, honors and shares her father’s legacy, and protects against its misuse. This podcast is produced by the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University in collaboration with Canopy Forum.

Bernice King: The King Center

Center for the Study of Law and Religion: Center for the Study of Law and Religion | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA

Canopy Forum: Canopy Forum

In this season of Interactions, Terri Montague, and Brandon Paradise, engage with contemporary leaders and social change agents regarding the influence and convergence of Christianity, the law, and racial justice. Today’s guest is Reverend Doctor Kelly Brown Douglas, the Canon Theologian at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, author of several books, and the president of Episcopal Divinity School. Douglas is also a leading scholar of womanist theology, social justice, sexuality, and the Black Church, as well as racial reconciliation. This podcast is produced by the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University in collaboration with Canopy Forum.

Kelly Brown Douglas: Episcopal Divinity School

Center for the Study of Law and Religion: Center for the Study of Law and Religion | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA

Canopy Forum: Canopy Forum

In this season of Interactions, Terri Montague, and Brandon Paradise, engage with contemporary leaders and social change agents regarding the influence and convergence of Christianity, the law, and racial justice. Today’s guest is Reverend Doctor Kelly Brown Douglas, the Canon Theologian at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, author of several books, and the president of Episcopal Divinity School. Douglas is also a leading scholar of womanist theology, social justice, sexuality, and the Black Church, as well as racial reconciliation. This podcast is produced by the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University in collaboration with Canopy Forum.

Kelly Brown Douglas: Episcopal Divinity School

Center for the Study of Law and Religion: Center for the Study of Law and Religion | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA

Canopy Forum: Canopy Forum

In this season of Interactions, Terri Montague and Brandon Paradise, engage with contemporary leaders and social change agents regarding the influence and convergence of Christianity, the law, and racial justice. Today’s guest is Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama, and the author of the 2014 memoir Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.This book was adapted for film in 2019 and features Michael B Jordan. Stevenson is also the creator of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, and a winner of a MacArthur Genius Grant. This podcast is produced by the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University in collaboration with Canopy Forum.

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Bryan Stevenson: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Center for the Study of Law and Religion: Center for the Study of Law and Religion | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA

Canopy Forum: Canopy Forum

In this episode, we hear from Matthew P. Cavedon, the Robert Pool Fellow in Law and Religion at Emory’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion, and a Senior Lecturer at Emory Law School.

His recent book, “From the Pope's Hands to Indigenous Lands: Alexander VI in Spanish Imperialism,” explores the historical impact of "inter caetera"– a papal bull issued in 1493 with wide-ranging influence on Spanish Christendom and the Catholic Church's stronghold on the New World at the cusp of modern imperialism.

The book seeks to shed light on the influence of notable clergymen and social reformers, including Bartolomé de Las Casas, and their efforts to advocate for indigenous rights. Matt’s work meticulously contextualizes these contested stories and sheds light on the nuance of lived experience under Spanish Imperialism.

• From the Pope’s Hand to Indigenous Lands: From the Pope’s Hand to Indigenous Lands
• Matthew P. Cavedon faculty page:Robert Pool Fellow in Law and Religion | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA
• CSLR Website:Center for the Study of Law and Religion | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA