Conversations

Blog series on current law and religion topics

The Sacralization of AI and the AI-zation of the Sacred

Following our previous series on (un)friendly algorithms and human rights, this series traces the historical roots of using machines for spiritual purposes and elaborates on AI’s influence on religious expression in the contemporary world (Panin); discusses the phenomenon of the sacralization of AI as a new “omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent” deity (Razmetaeva); argues that AI encourages the commodification of religious experiences, turning believers into consumers of “superior religious services” (Eddebo); and asserts that “tech giants and their algorithms” are the latest iteration of destructive monsters that have oppressed human freedom and rights since early modern times (Rochow).

Stanislav Panin. Challenges and Promises of Artificial Intelligence in Religion

Yulia Razmetaeva. Sacralization of AI

Johan Eddebo. AI and Commodification of Religion

Neville Rochow. Another Case of Déjà-Vu: The Sacrifice of Conscience to Monsters

 

The Russia-Ukraine War and Religion: One Year after the Beginning of the Invasion

In March 2022, after Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine had begun, we published a series exploring the role of religion in the war. In that series, we argued that the religious component of the conflict has manifested itself in a variety of aspects: from religious justification and rhetoric employed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, to the perception of the war by Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches, to threats to religious freedom in territories under Russian control. Commemorating the first-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, we provide an update on these topics.

Jerry G. Pankhurst. Both Symptom and Cause: Four Problems in Eastern Orthodoxy Reflected in the Ukraine War

Robert C. Blitt. Russia’s Constitutionalized Civilizational Identity and the Moscow Patriarchate’s War on Ukraine

Alar Kilp. The Role of the ROC in the Sacralization of Secular Imperial Nationalism

Regina Elsner. No End to the Dead End? The Difficult Relationship Between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Moscow Patriarchate

Catherine Wanner. The Effects of War and Collaboration on Trust in Ukraine

Andriy Fert. Between Scylla and Charybdis: The Ukrainian Orthodox Parish During the War

Stanislav Panin. Russian Alternative Spiritualities During the First Year of the War

Dmytro Vovk. Not My Church: Ukraine’s New Draft Law Dealing with the Ukraine Orthodox Church of (not) the Moscow Patriarchate

Michelle Coleman. The War and Religion in Ukraine: The Role of NGOs in Evidence Collection for Future International Trials

Religion’s Roles in Peacebuilding: The 29th Annual Law and Religion Symposium

The ICLRS held its 29th Annual International Law and Religion Symposium, “Religion’s Roles in Peacebuilding,” 1–5 October 2022. While the Covid pandemic restricted Symposia to online meetings in 2020 and 2021, this year’s Symposium gathered more than 80 delegates from 40 countries for sessions and related events at the J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, and in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The following select presentations are illustrative of the depth and breadth of the Symposium’s 90-plus presentations.

Daniel Philpott. Religion and Peace

Sharon Eubank. Religion’s Roles in Peacebuilding: Religion and Interfaith Engagement in Times of Conflict and Disaster

James Christie. Understanding Religion’s Roles in Peacebuilding

Asma Redi Baleker. Religion’s Roles in Peacebuilding in Ethiopia: Religion and Interfaith Engagement in Times of Conflict and Disaster

Elizabeth A. Clark. Enemies and Brothers

Andrew Teal. Fidei Defensor

Carlos Bernal Pulido. The Role of Religious Groups in the 2016 Colombian Plebiscite for Peace and Implementation of the Peace Agreement

Rakesh Naidoo. A New Zealand Police Perspective on Religions’ Roles in Peacebuilding

Andrew Methven. The AMAR Foundation: Remedies to Religious Persecution, Lessons in Peacebuilding

Jennifer G. Woods. Peacebuilding and the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Muhammadou M.O. Kah. Religions’ Roles in Peacebuilding in The Gambia

Why Religious Freedom Matters to Me: The 2022 Religious Freedom Annual Review

The 2022 Religious Freedom Annual Review, held on 16 June at Brigham Young University, focused on the theme “Living Peaceably: Religious Freedom as a Foundation for Religious Harmony.” Panelists in the opening plenary session shared personal reflections on “Why Religious Freedom Matters to Me.” Edited summaries of their presentations are available below:

Reverend Marian Edmonds-Allen. Why Religious Freedom Matters to Me

Simran Jeet Singh.Why Religious Freedom Matters to Me

Chris Seiple. Why Religious Freedom Matters to Me

 

Freedom of Religion or Belief and Gender Equality across the OSCE Region

In September 2022 The Review of Faith & International Affairs published an issue dedicated to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and women’s rights across the OSCE region. The issue brought together a broad and rich variety of papers focusing on international law issues; the role religions and religious freedom play in the promotion of gender equality, as well as in religion-related reservations and political opposition to relevant international law; and tensions between religious organizations and human rights defenders working in this sphere. In this series, we continue exploring this multifaceted topic.

Interview: Nazila Ghanea on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Gender Equality as Non-Clashing Rights

Marie Juul Petersen. Religion, Gender, and Sexuality: Three Points on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Montserrat Gas Aixendri. How to Make Progress on Gender Equality Without Decreasing Religious Freedom: The OSCE Context

Regina Elsner. Ukrainian Churches and the Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Ukraine: Being European Without Accepting “Gender”

 

Religious Persecution, Mental Health, and Music: AMAR Foundation 2022 Windsor Dialogue Conferences

In 2022, the ICLRS cosponsored two conferences as part of The AMAR International Charitable Foundation’s Windsor Dialogue series. The following posts, summarizing conference presentations, are representative of just some of the expertise and viewpoints shared during the 2022 Windsor Dialogue conferences.

Bishop Alastair Redfern. Fostering Frameworks that Set People Free

Sharon Eubank. Eight Years, Three Steps

Alastair Ager. A Faith‑Sensitive Approach in Humanitarian Response

Maryanne Loughry. The Promotion of Music, Mental Health, and Preservation of Culture and Religion to International Agencies

Fitzroy Morrissey. Islamic Views on Music

Erin Bailey. Impact of Music Participation on the Psychological Wellbeing of Refugees

Aldo Zammit Borda. Why Iraq Should Enact Laws Criminalizing Genocide

The First Brazilian Symposium on Religious Freedom

The First Brazilian Symposium on Religious Freedom was held in Rio de Janeiro, 23–25 March 2022. The symposium was organized by the Brazilian Center of Studies in Law and Religion and the International Center for Law and Religion Studies of the J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University. Participants included dozens of leaders from religious organizations, academic institutions, government entities, and nongovernmental and civil society organizations—from Brazil and other Latin American countries, the United States, and Europe. The following summaries provide a small glimpse into ideas exchanged at this first-of-its-kind event

Edna Vasconcelos Zilli. Panorama of Religious Coexistence in Brazil

Marcio Henrique Pereira Ponzilacqua. Law, Religion, and Society: Sociology’s View of Law and Religion

Ruth Junginger de Andrade. Thoughts on Law, Religion, and Society

Carmen Asiaín Pereira. The Reception of the Right to Religious Freedom in Latin America

Carmen Asiaín Pereira. La Recepción del Derecho de Libertad Religiosa en América Latina

 

Religion during the Russian-Ukrainian War

The religious component of the Russian-Ukrainian war has manifested itself in a variety of aspects: from religious justification and rhetoric employed by Russian president Vladimir Putin, to the perception of the war by Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches, to the dramatic situation with religious freedom in the territories under Russia and its proxies’ control. These and other issues are discussed in this series.

 

Desmond Mpilo Tutu: In Memoriam

The series contains tributes to Archbishop Desmond Tutu who recently passed away. The posts commemorate Tutu’s life-long efforts to promote peace, reconciliation, and human dignity and reflect on his legacy as a theologian and human rights advocate

 

The First Annual Forum on Law and Religion of the Southern Cone: Remarks from Speakers and Panelists (Eng/Spa)

The First Annual Forum on Law and Religion of the Southern Cone, “Human Dignity and Religious Freedom,” was held in Santiago, Chile, 28–29 October 2021. The forum was sponsored by BYU’s International Center for Law and Religion Studies, the Chilean government’s National Office of Religious Affairs, and the Center for Law and Religion at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Below are links to select forum remarks, available in both Spanish and English

 

(Un)friendly Algorithm: Religious Freedom and Digital Technologies

This blog series explores some threats that digital technologies can create to freedom of religion or belief and other human rights.

Judges and Their Religions

In this series, we provide different perspectives on religion and judging. Five contributors, academics and a U.S. federal judge explore religious diversity and the judiciary, interplays between religious convictions and judicial ethics, and the role of religion and religious beliefs in professional and personal biographies of judges.

The 2021 G20 Interfaith Forum: Remarks from Church Leaders and ICLRS Speakers

The International Center for Law and Religion Studies speakers at the 2021 G20 Interfaith Forum Summit in Bologna, Italy along with leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Summit Theme is “A Time to Heal.”

Advancing Religious Freedom in Different Political Regimes: Personal Stories

In June 2021 the ICLRS Blog, “Talk About: Law and Religion,” hosted a webinar on advancing religious freedom in different political regimes. The panelists (Brett G. Scharffs, Seng Mai Aung, Ján Figeľ, Mine Yildirim, Knox Thames, and Elizabeth A. Clark) talked about their personal experiences in Iraq, Myanmar, Pakistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan focusing on challenges and restrictions religious and belief communities face in these countries and other parts of the world.

Dignitatis Humanae 2.0: Religious Freedom for the Good of All

This series offers a set of essays written from various perspectives—Catholic, Orthodox, and secular—and with different outcomes—more positive and supportive, and more critical—concerning both ideas and approaches articulated in the 2019 Declaration and its political implications.

Rohingya Muslims Flee Violence In Myanmar

Conceptualizing Religious Persecution as a Crime against Humanity

In this series we discuss the conception “grievous religious persecution” developed by Werner Nicolaas Nel in his recently published book.

Individualization of Religious Beliefs, Secularization and Religion-State Relations

In this series, we look at the individualization of religious beliefs through lenses of social philosophy, religious studies, and law.

God, Religion, and Faith in the Australian Constitution

This series develops the theme we were discussing in one of our previous conversations: the normative, political, and symbolic role of mentioning God in the Australian Constitutions.

God in Secular Constitutions

This series explores the normative, interpretative, political, and symbolic role of mentioning God, the Trinity, and other sacraments in secular constitutions. The contributors consider the German, Greek, Irish, Polish, and Russian cases.

Fratelli tutti: A Series of Reflections

In October 2020, Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis’s new encyclical was released. This 287-paragraph document provides a Catholic perspective on a variety of questions from human dignity and political integration from the lack of public trust and peacemaking to the death penalty and fake news. Talk About: Law and Religion posts a series of theological and philosophical reflections on Fratelli tutti.

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Digitalization of Religion in Times of COVID-19

Freedom of Religion or Belief—Creating the Constitutional Space for Fundamental Freedoms: A New Book on Religious Freedom and its Protection from the Perspective of Several Jurisdictions

COVID-19, Religion and FoRB: Reflection upon the Completion of the Webinar Series

The Series Hosts join to reflect upon issues raised in the 14-part webinar series, COVID-19, Religion and Belief, sponsored by BYU International Center for Law and Religion Studies,  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints European Office, Bruno Kessler Foundation / CIRIS and University of Sienna, FGV Escola de Direito do Rio de Janeiro,  and the Cambridge Institute on Religion & International Studies.

Obergefell v. Hodges: Five Years Later

Five guest authors join us to discuss this landmark 2015 decision of the US Supreme Court in Obergefell. See posts by Tanner Bean & Robin Fretwell Wilson, Mark Hill QC, Eugenia Relaño Pastor, and Christine Venter.

Religion and Religious Freedom in the COVID-19 Era: Finding Community and Hope

Religion and the Rule of Law

We have opened a conversation on the important and timely topic of Religion and the Rule of Law.  Existing posts are listed below.

Mr. Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief © UN Photo/Amanda Voisard

Religious Freedom and Gender Equality:  Reflections on the Recent UN Special Rapporteur’s Report

Participants representing academic and human rights institutions in the US, Spain, Turkey, and Germany weigh in.

 

COVID-19 and Human Dignity

Developed from contributions to an international Webinar held 16 April 2010, Episode 2 of the Webinar Series COVID-19 and Freedom of Religion or Belief. Hear panelist addressing: How is this global emergency affecting our concept of human dignity? How can we ensure that restrictions to civil liberties that we accept for our collective safety respect human dignity and human rights?

The Chained Wife Problem:  Religious and Secular Perspectives

Scholars from Israel, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine discuss a landmark case, ‘believed to be the first time the criminal justice system in the UK has been used on behalf of an agunah – a “chained” woman left unable to remarry according to Jewish law because her husband denies her a religious divorce.’ Evoked in this case are issues not only of Jewish and British law, but of family law, religious autonomy, and women’s rights, with ”wide implications within the Orthodox Jewish community and potentially in other communities, when religious laws are abused .’

Ukrainian Autocephaly, One Year On

The creation of a new Orthodox Church of Ukraine in January 2019 provoked turmoil in the Global Orthodoxy and even impacted U.S.-Russian relations. In a new Talk About Conversation marking the first anniversary of this event, Elizabeth Clark  introduces posts by Dmytro Vovk, Andriy Fert,  Catherine Wanner and Tetiana Kalynychenko, Andrii Krawchuk, Robert Blitt, and Stanislav Panin.

(Anti)Religious Speech and State Security Measures

Religious Freedom and Security as Mutually Reinforcing Objectives: Reflections on the New OSCE/ODIHR Policy Guidance