Cross & Gavel Audio

This week, we are joined once more by our friend and comparative constitutional law expert from the mean streets of Padua—Andrea Pin. We discuss his brand new book from Brill entitled, Religious Freedom without the Rule of Law: The Constitutional Odysseys of Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iraq and the Fate of the Middle East (here). Whereby last time we spoke about the development of religious freedom jurisprudence in Europe (listen here), this time we venture into the Islamic world by considering the rule of law and its implications in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iraq. I ask him about the meaning of “rule of law” and whether it remains a purely Western convention. I ask about the role of community life in his focused regions as it relates to the ways they negotiate legal disputes and tribal tensions. I ask about the role of religious conversion and what happens after. And much more. Andrea Pin is the Associate Professor of Comparative Public Law at the University of Padova Law School and a senior fellow in the Center f

This week, we have a special guest from the University of Florida Levin College of Law—Christopher D. Hampson. Our topic is a good one: the cancellation of debt. To that end, Chris and I discussed his forthcoming article tentatively entitled Law and the Jubilee Tradition. Some of the things we spoke about was the jubilee tradition in the Old Testament text, the many ways that tradition connects with the history of American society, his approach based on a Rawlsian ideal of practical reason, principle of equality undergirding his project, and more. Chris is a scholar of bankruptcy, insolvency, and the ethics of debt. His research focuses on how legal institutions can best serve our shared values during times of financial distress. Chris served as a law clerk for Judge Richard A. Posner on the Seventh Circuit in Chicago and practiced law at a number of promient law firms in Miami and Boston. Full bio and CV here. Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng

This week, we have a special episode with a return guest of mine—Nicholas Aroney, who recently delivered the Sir John Graham Lecture in New Zealand. You can listen to that here or read it here. Nick and I talk about this lecture, entitled The Compass of Character, delving into questions relating to the definition of good character, the role that catastrophes play in bringing out an individual's true self, the limits of law and education for the inculcation of good character, and the role of religion in helping bridge the gap. Nicholas Aroney is Professor of Constitutional Law at The University of Queensland, Director (Public Law) of the Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law and a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Law and Religion at Emory University. As mentioned in our conversation, he has also edited an impressive volume entitled, Christianity and Constitutionalism—this is well worth the money! Faculty bio. Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced b

In this episode, I talk about a new book that models the ten habits that any peacemaker should adopt. The author is Steven T. Collis and the book is Ten Habits of a Peacemaker. For those wondering how this book compares to the work of Ken Sande’s The Peacemaker, the two are excellent companions. While Ken’s is more theological (LISTEN), Steven’s project looks at the process and psychological challenges of creating a space for constructive dialogue and common life. To that end, him and I spoke about the importance of habit formation, the challenges of navigating perception, the psychology underlying group-think, the various steps that an individual can take to develop the heart of a peacemaker, and much more. Steven researches and teaches on religion law, productive discourse, and other First Amendment topics at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. He is the founding faculty director of the Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center and its Law & Religion Clinic. Before joining Texas Law, he was a Re

This week, I discuss a recent piece (here) in Touchstone Magazine with Adam J. MacLeod entitled “How Law Lost Its Way: An Abandoned Ruling Principle & How to Get It Back.” In it, Adam discusses the role of practical reason in the development of law and the change that took place after the Enlightenment toward a positivistic conception of law rooted in power and force. We discuss his move to Texas, the meaning of the rule of law and how it was developed throughout history, the role of deliberation in the legal process, how the law was lost through power jurisprudence, and much more. Adam is Professor of Law at St. Mary’s University (profile) and a Senior Research Fellow of the Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy (for more). Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.    

This week, we enter the world of labor law theory — more specifically, the question of faith as it relates to the rights of workers. In this episode, I am joined by law professor Alvin Velazquez to talk about a paper (here) he presented at the St. Louis University School of Law Symposium focused on the question of workplace justice. We talk about his transition from serving with a major American trade union to becoming a law professor at IU-Maurer, the role of faith in advancing workplace justice, the restoration of dignity in the labor market, the application of “prophetic pragmatism” in his developing theory, and much more. Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

This week, we talk about an all too familiar topic for law students: contracts. In this episode, I am joined by law professor C. Scott Pryor to talk about his soon to be published paper in the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics, and Public Policy: Person-Centered Pluralism About Contract Law (download here). Scott and I talk about the fundamentals of contract law, the moral obligation of promise, the significance of binding obligations, and much more. Scott holds a B.A. from Dordt College and an M.A. from Reformed Theological Seminary. He earned his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin College of Law. You can find many of his other thoughts in his blog here. Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

This week, we begin a new chapter in the life of the Cross & Gavel podcast, with a renewed effort to explore the interaction of Christianity and law. This new focus will be exclusive to the work being done by practitioners and academics in their field of knowledge, offering their small contributions to the great intellectual tradition that has made the “cathedral of the law” such a formative discipline to shape society and culture. We begin our journey thinking about what happens when a Christian attorney walks into a Bar. No, not that kind of bar . . . THE BAR. Yes, the dreaded exam, but also the very life of legal practice it entails. Our Virgil on this voyage is Dr. Jeff J. Ventrella. An adjunct at Trinity Law School and the Director and Chair of the truthXchange Fellowship. We welcome you on this journey with us and hope it proves fruitful in your own study and practice of law. Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

Joining me this week to talk about his brand new autobiographical work on prison ministry is Joe Ingles, who spent over 40 years ministering to prisoners on death row. His powerful book is called Too Close to the Flame: With the Condemned inside the Southern Killing Machine. RELATED CONTENT God's Law & Order - Aaron Griffith (Episode # 164) Second Chance Month - Heather Rice-Minus (Episode # 163) Break Every Yoke - Vincent Lloyd and Joshua Dubler (Episode # 138) A note to the audience: change is coming!! We will be back in a few weeks with a brand new logo and a new focus on bringining you the best conversations strcitly focused on the intersection of Christianity and law. Stay tuned and subscribe today!

Joining me today to talk about her new book on extermisn is a former homeland security official, Elizabeth Neumann. Her book is called Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace, which looks at how we develop habits of extremism and how we can break the cycle. RELATED CONTENT Agents of Grace - Dan Darling (Episode # 168) Learning to Disagree - John Inazu (Episode # 162)  

We have a very special episode today with David L. Bahsen about work and the meaning of life. His book, Full-Time, is a challeging and important contribution for resetting our worldviews to fully embrace our role as workers and Christians. I wrote a short introduction on the Cross & Gavel Substack (here) incorporating David's work with Matthew Kaemingk's Work and Worship (listen to our chat with him here) and John Witte, Jr.'s Table Talk.

Joining me this week to talk about reconciliation and civil discourse is the author of Agents of Grace: How to Bridge Divides and Love as Jesus Loved — Dan hosts the weekly podcast The Way Home, leads the Land Center for Cultural Engagement, and speaks at churches and conferences around the country. RELATED CONTENT Joy For The World - Greg Forster (Episode # 127) Learning to Disagree - John Inazu (Episode # 162) Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

Joining me this week to talk a little church history and political theology is the author of Cultural Santificaiton: Engaging the World like the Early Church — Stephen O. Presley. Stephen is a senior fellow for religion and public life at the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy (CRCD) and associate professor of church history at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS). Profile page here. RELATED CONTENT The Contested Public Square - Greg Forster (Episode # 113) Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

Joining me this week to talk about her new spiritual biography of J.R.R. Tolkien is Holly Ordway. She is the Cardinal Francis George Professor of Faith and Culture at the the Word on Fire Institute and Visiting Professor of Apologetics at Houston Christian University. Her other two books on Apologetics and Tolkien can be found here and here (respectively). For more, check out her website and Twitter account (@HollyOrdway).   Listen to my earlier conversation with Holly here on her book, Tolkien's Modern Reading. The Namárië Forum ("go towards goodness") is an opportunity for us to step back from the mandates (and madness) of law and practice, and into a space for contemplation and imagination regarding the outworking of God in our day and age. In the words of Makoto Fujimura, "[c]ultivating our imagination is essential to fully realizing our potential as God's creatures." For a brief background to this Forum, check out my article  here.

In this week's discussion, David VanDrunen returns to the studio to talk about his new short companion on the natural law (buy here). David is the Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary California (faculty page here). He has written a number of other popular books, ranging from Divine Covenants and Moral Order: A Biblical Theology of Natural Law, Natural Law and the Two Kingdoms: A Study in the Development of Reformed Social Thought and Politics after Christendom: Political Theology in a Fractured World. RELATED CONTENT Bridging the Civil & Divine - Karen Taliferro (Episode # 133) Mere Natural Law - Hadley Arkes (Episode # 159) Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

In honor of Second Chance Month, we continue our conversation on criminal justice by focusing on the history of law and order in America. My guest today is Aaron Griffith—assistant professor of modern American history at Whitworth University and the author of God's Law & Order: The Politics of Punishment in Evangelical America. RELATED CONTENT This is our third episode on criminal justice this spring. Watch the first episode with Matthew T. Martens here and the second with Heather Rice-Minus here. Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

In honor of Second Chance Month, I am joined by the President of Prison Fellowship, Heather Rice-Minus, to talk ministry in cells and the work that remains to be done for reintroducing prisoners into normal life. Follow their work on their website, here. RELATED CONTENT This is our second episode on criminal justice this spring. Watch the first episode with Matthew T. Martens here. Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

Joining me this week to talk about his brand new book, Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect, is John Inazu. He is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law & Religion and Professor of Political Science (by courtesy) (bio page). Also check out his Substack here. RELATED CONTENT Confident Pluralism - John Inazu (Episode # 55) The Witte Lectures - John WItte, Jr. & John Inazu (here) Blessed Are The Peacemakers - Ken Sande (Episode # 114) Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

Joining me this week to talk about reforming criminal justice is the preeminent Christian thinker on matters of law and order, Matthew T. Martens. His new book, Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal, is an essential text for helping students and practitioners alike integrate their faith with the legal profession. Buy it here. This is the first of three Spring episodes looking at the criminal justice system. RELATED CONTENT Break Every Yoke (Episode # 138). Romans 13 (Epsiode # 131) Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.

Joining me this week to talk a little jurisprudence is an Associate Professor at the Singapore Management University School of Law, Seow Hon Tan (faculty page). She is the author of the book Justice as Friendship: A Theory of Law (purchase), which looks at the idea of friendship and how it can help us formulate a more just legal system. RELATED CONTENT Bridging the Civil & Divine - Karen Taliaferro (Episode # 133) Christianity & Constitutionalism: Higher Law - Li-ann Thio (Episodes # 148) Mere Natural Law - Hadley Arkes (Episode # 159) Cross & Gavel is a production of CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. The episode was produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento.