Hamline’s Journal of Law and Religion to revisit Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
The Journal of Law and Religion, an international, interdisciplinary forum committed to studying law in its social context, including moral and religious views of law and life, will present When Faith and Law Collide: Revisiting Martin Luther King’s Letter From Birmingham Jailits 20th annual symposium on Sept. 23.
The symposium will revisit the story behind the composition of the “Letter,” including the questions it addressed, and the questions it continues to raise. Dr. King’s letter, which began, "I agree with St. Augustine that ‘an unjust law is no law at all,” was in response to the charge leveled against civil rights activists that it was unreasonable to appeal to law in defense of one’s rights while disobeying laws in the pursuit of justice.
The symposium’s keynote address will be delivered by Carlton Waterhouse Associate Professor of Law and Dean's Fellow, Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis. Another highlight will be a dialogue featuring Minnesota State Senator and former St. Paul Chief of Police John Harrington, and Harry Boyte, Southern Christian Leadership Conference field secretary and former assistant to Dr. King.
Also planned are discussions on the sources cited in the Letter. Panelists include:
Pamela Alexander, Council on Crime and Justice, former State District Judge
Rolf Jacobson, Luther Seminary
Howard Lesnick, University of Pennsylvania School of Law
John Mazis, Hamline University history department
Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, University of St. Thomas peace and justice program
Timothy Polk, Hamline University religion department
Jim Scheibel, Hamline School of Business, former Mayor of St. Paul
Deanna Thompson, Hamline University religion department
Symposium registrants will receive a critical, annotated edition of Letter from Birmingham Jail, prepared and published by the Journal of Law and Religion for the symposium.
Hamline’s Journal of Law and Religionis a recognized source for policymakers, scholars, and educators. Its subscription base represents six continents and includes over 390 law and theological libraries, including Yale University Law School Library, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, Baha'i World Centre Library, Fondation du Roi Abdul Aziz Al Saoud, Sharjah University, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
The 2011 Journal of Law and Religion Fall Symposium is sponsored by the Journal of Law and Religion, Hamline University School of Law, Hamline College of Liberal Arts Department of Religion and Social Justice Program and The Wesley Center for Spirituality, Service and Social Justice.
For more information, please contact Linda Berglin, Production Manager,
Journal of Law and Religion, at 651-523-2082.