Scholarship@WashULaw

Document Type

Article

Language

English (en)

Publication Date

2016

Publication Title

Washington University Law Review

Abstract

This brief essay explores the relationship between law, religion, and the university. Religion asks the fundamental questions of human existence. Law is the means through which we impose our beliefs on our fellow citizens. The particulars of law and religion expose the differences among us. We respond to those differences with chaos, control, or coexistence. Coexistence requires tolerance, humility, and patience, and it requires institutions to habituate these practices within us. It is not clear that this country presently has such institutions, but if we are discover them among us, the university is one possible contender. The people, place, and purpose of the university can facilitate a more generous dialogue across difference. We might also keep in mind that participants in the university are also citizens in a larger political project, where the stakes are much higher, the differences much starker, and the possibilities for dialogue often much smaller.

Keywords

Pluralism, Difference, Confident Pluralism, Law, Religion, University

Publication Citation

John Inazu, Law, Religion, and the Purpose of the University, 94 Wash. U. L. Rev. 1493 (2016)

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