May 13-15, 1999 San Antonio, TX Overview | Conference Program About the Speakers | Resources | Syllabi PROGRAM Thursday, May 13 Noon Registration 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Preconference Session: The Boerne,TX Supreme Court Case and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act [This session will explore the 1997 City of Boerne, Texas v. Flores case, and its larger implications for religious accommodation, through the eyes of local participants in the original controversy. Panelists will discuss the case's legal evolution, as well as the final resolution and local settlement. Boerne, Texas is located approximately 30 miles northwest of San Antonio.] 4:30 - 6:15 p.m. Opening Session: Law, Religion, and the Moral Order: Cross-Cultural Perspectives [The opening session is designed to explore a variety of ways that law and religion intersect, focusing especially on multidisciplinary approaches in settings beyond the United States.] Moderator: John Paul Ryan (ABA) Speakers: Michael Budde (DePaul University/Political Science & Catholic Studies) Lucinda Peach (American University/Philosophy & Religion) Winnifred Sullivan (Washington & Lee University/Religion) 6:15 - 7:15 p.m. Reception Friday, May 14 8:30 a.m. Coffee and Bagels 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Panel: Revisiting the Separation of Church and State at the Millennium [Addresses how high the wall of separation between church and state has been, and should be, in the United States. Speakers will provide alternative viewpoints on whether, when, or how freedom of religious expression can be accommodated in a secular state. Particular controversies, cases, and practices will be addressed.] Moderator: Nancy Hauserman (University of Iowa/Business) Speakers: Lief Carter (The Colorado College/Political Science) Stephen Feldman (University of Tulsa/Law School) Nicholas Miller (Council on Religious Freedom) 10:30-10:45 a.m. Coffee 10:45 - 12:00 p.m. Special Interest Sessions Religion and the Courts: Recent and New Cases Presenter: Charles Williams (ABA/Editor, Preview of U.S. Supreme Court Cases) Using the Web to Teach about Religion and the Constitution Presenter: Eric Mazur (Bucknell University/Religion) Law and the Moral Order in the Ancient World Presenters: John Robert Cassidy (Ramapo College/Philosophy & Law and Society) Ira Spar (Ramapo College/Ancient History) 12:15 - 2:15 p.m. Lunch Program: Race, Religion, and School Choice Moderator: Mabel McKinney-Browning (American Bar Association) Speakers:  Robin Barnes (University of Connecticut School of Law) Teresa Collett (South Texas College of Law) 2:30 - 3:45 p.m. PLENARY SESSION "The New Religious Pluralism and the American Public Square" A multi-media presentation by Diana Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion, Harvard University 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Discussion/Networking Circles (limit 10 per table) [An opportunity for conferees to meet and talk with others informally, sharing a particular research, teaching, or program interest. Topics to be selected in response to participant interests.] Saturday, May 15 8:15 - 9:15 a.m. Breakfast Session: Thinking about a Legal Studies Program (Major or Minor) on Your Campus? [An opportunity to meet and talk with faculty from undergraduate legal studies/law and society programs nationally. Eat an expanded continental breakfast and ask questions about program goals and organization, course content, and experiential learning and other co-curricular components.] 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast 9:30 - 11:00 am Closing Panel: Religions, Law, and Public Policy [Explores the role of various religious groups in influencing specific public policies such as abortion, end-of-life decisions, and American culture generally. Panelists will address both the tactics, including the use of law and courts, and the influence of such groups.] Moderator: Carol Bohmer (Ohio State University/Sociology) Speakers: Lee Epstein (Washington University, St. Louis/Political Science) Justin Watson (Florida State University/Religion) Alan Weisbard (University of Wisconsin/Law School & Jewish Studies) 11:30 am Adjournment Back to top