Religious Particularity and Moral Universality Faith, Reason, and Natural Law
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Religious Particularity and Moral Universality Faith, Reason, and Natural Law The Annual Robert J. Giuffra ’82 Conference Cosponsored by the Association for the Study of Free Institutions at Texas Tech University TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY, MAY 14-15, 2019 Frist Campus Center 301 This conference is dedicated to the memory of Daniel N. Robinson, a treasured member of the James Madison Society. Religious Particularity and Moral Universality Faith, Reason, and Natural Law The Annual Robert J. Giuffra ’82 Conference How are we to understand the Addressing these important questions, relationship between religion and the the James Madison Program in free society? On the one hand, it might American Ideals and Institutions and seem that religion was necessary to the the Association for the Study of Free rise of freedom in the modern world. Free Institutions are pleased to announce societies emerged first in nations that had been influenced for generations by a conference entitled “Religious biblical religion. Moreover, the biblical Particularity and Moral Universality: claim that each human being is created in Faith, Reason, and Natural Law.” The the image and likeness of God may be a program includes scholars from a variety necessary foundation of the belief in the of disciplines in the social sciences and dignity of each individual, on which the humanities. We address a number of free society is based. On the other hand, questions. What are the foundations of religion has sometimes been a tool of and the requirements of the natural law? oppression, and many of the intellectual What does natural law teach us about architects of modern free societies the role of religion in the free society? understood themselves as limiting the role What is the state of contemporary Jewish- of religion in politics, seeking to establish political communities based primarily or Christian relations? What contributions exclusively on reason and rational self- can Judaism and Christianity make interest. Moving beyond the origins of to the free society? How have Jewish free societies, we encounter the question, thinkers responded to modernity and how does religion relate to free societies its understanding of freedom? Finally, once they have come into existence? what challenges does religion face in the Does the modern free society undermine modern free society, and what challenges religion, or does it open a space in which do such societies face in trying to religion can flourish? How should the maintain a proper relation to the religious defenders of the free society think about traditions and communities that exist religion’s place within it? Conversely, how within them? should religious believers think about their place in the free society? The James Madison Program would like to thank Robert J. Giuffra ’82 for his generous support of this conference. CONFERENCE SCHEDULE TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2019 10:30 TO NOON Presentation of the 2019 James Q. Wilson Award for Distinguished Scholarship on the Nature of a Free Society to David Novak Presenter: Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence; Director, James Madison Program, Princeton University, on behalf of the Association for the Study of Free Institutions Keynote Address: David Novak, J. Richard & Dorothy Shiff Chair of Jewish Studies and Professor of Religion and Philosophy, University of Toronto 1:30 TO 3:15 PM Natural Law Panelists: Daniel Mark, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Villanova University Karen Taliaferro, Assistant Professor, School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University Christopher Tollefsen, College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor; Chair, Department of Philosophy, University of South Carolina Chair: Lee J. Strang, 2018-19 Visiting Fellow, James Madison Program, Princeton University; John W. Stoepler Professor of Law & Values, University of Toledo College of Law 3:45 TO 5:30 PM Jewish-Christian Relations Panelists: Samuel Goldman, Executive Director, Loeb Institute for Religious Freedom; Assistant Professor of Political Science, George Washington University Peter Ochs, Edgar M. Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies, University of Virginia R. R. Reno, Editor, First Things Chair: Bronwen C. McShea, 2018-19 Associate Research Scholar, James Madison Program, Princeton University WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019 9:00 TO 10:45 AM Dimensions of Modern Jewish Political Thought Panelists: Leora Batnitzky, Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Jewish Studies; Professor of Religion; Chair, Department of Religion, Princeton University Kenneth Hart Green, Professor of Religion, University of Toronto Nathan Pinkoski, Associate Research Scholar, James Madison Program; Lecturer in Politics, Princeton University Chair: Mitchell Rocklin, 2018-19 Postdoctoral Research Associate, James Madison Program, Princeton University 11:15 TO 1:00 PM Religion, Ethics, and Public Affairs Panelists: Hadley Arkes, Edward N. Ney Professor of Jurisprudence Emeritus, Amherst College Eric Gregory, Professor of Religion and Chair of the Council of the Humanities, Princeton University Michael Walzer, Professor Emeritus of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study Chair: Alfred Kentigern Siewers, 2018-19 William E. Simon Visiting Fellow in Religion and Public Life, James Madison Program, Princeton University; Associate Professor of English, Bucknell University 2:30 TO 4:30 PM A Consideration of the Thought of David Novak Panelists: Matthew Levering, James N. and Mary D. Perry, Jr. Chair of Theology, University of Saint Mary of the Lake Randi L. Rashkover, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Judaic Studies Program, George Mason University Respondent: David Novak, J. Richard & Dorothy Shiff Chair of Jewish Studies and Professor of Religion and Philosophy, University of Toronto Chair: Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence; Director, James Madison Program, Princeton University 4:45 TO 6:00 PM The Republic’s Predicament A Conversation Sponsored by the Association for the Study of Free Insitutions Discussants: Ryan T. Anderson, William E. Simon Senior Research Fellow in American Principles & Public Policy, The Heritage Foundation; Editor, Public Discourse David Azerrad, Director, B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics and AWC Family Foundation Fellow, The Heritage Foundation Stephen H. Balch, Chairman, Association for the Study of Free Institutions; Director, Institute for the Study of Western Civilization, Texas Tech University Moderator: Carson Holloway, Executive Director, Association for the Study of Free Institutions; Professor of Political Science, Ralph Wardle Diamond Professor of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska ABOUT THE JAMES MADISON PROGRAM ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF FREE INSTITUTIONS Founded in the summer of 2000, the James Madison Program in American Ideals and The Association for the Study of Free Institutions in the Department of Politics Institutions is a scholarly organization at Princeton University is dedicated to promoting multi-disciplinary inquiry exploring enduring questions of American into the free society – its philosophic, constitutional law and Western political cultural, and institutional conditions, its thought. The Program is also devoted to character, its strengths and limitations, examining the application of basic legal and and the challenges it faces. ASFI works to ethical principles to contemporary problems. unite scholars from a variety of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities – political To realize its mission, the James Madison science, history, law, economics, sociology, Program implements a number of psychology, anthropology, theology, classics, initiatives. The Program awards visiting education – in order to revive the study of fellowships and postdoctoral appointments freedom as a major concern of American each year to support scholars conducting higher education. research in the fields of constitutional law and political thought. The Program Mindful that the questions to which freedom supports the James Madison Society, an gives rise are often controversial, that freedom international community of scholars, and carries certain costs, and that we have things promotes civic education by its sponsorship to learn even from its most determined of conferences, lectures, seminars, and critics, ASFI welcomes intellectual diversity. colloquia. The Program’s Undergraduate It seeks the participation of scholars Fellows Forum provides opportunities representing not only a variety of intellectual for Princeton undergraduates to interact disciplines, but also a diversity of moral with Madison Program Fellows and speakers. and philosophical positions. Ultimately, The success of the James Madison Program ASFI aims to revitalize higher education depends on the support of foundations and our public discourse by encouraging and private individuals who share its scholarship and teaching that will contribute commitment in advancing the understanding to the preservation and improvement of our and appreciation of American ideals and free civilization. institutions. o PARTICIPANTS DAVID NOVAK has been the J. Richard the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public and Dorothy Shiff Professor of Jewish Studies Policy, the Weekly Standard, and National and Philosophy in the University of Toronto Review. He hold a B.A. from Princeton since 1997. Formerly, he was the Edgar M. University and a Ph.D. in Political Philosophy Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies from the University of