"The Ten Commandments on Display: A Discussion on Religion, Law and Public Life" will be the topic at Samford University Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in the moot courtroom of Robinson law building. The public is invited.
The program is co-sponsored by Samford's Beeson Divinity School and Cumberland School of Law.
Four panelists will represent a variety of views on issues related to the public display of the Ten Commandments.
Panelists are Thomas C. Berg, professor, University of St. Thomas School of Law, Minneapolis, Minn.; Marci Hamilton, professor, Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, New York City; Jay Sekulow, chief counsel, American Center for Law and Justice, Washington, D.C.; and Ron Sider, president and founder, Evangelicals for Social Action, Philadelphia, Penn.
Each will make introductory remarks, followed by moderated discussion. The audience will be invited to submit questions for response by the panelists. Samford provost Dr. Brad Creed will moderate the two-hour program.
Berg, a respected scholar of religious freedom, constitutional law and the role of religion in modern society, is the author of The State and Religion in a Nutshell. At St. Thomas, he is co-director of the Terrence J. Murphy Institute for Catholic Thought, Law and Public Policy. He is a former Cumberland faculty member.
Hamilton, a constitutional law scholar specializing in church/state relations, federalism and representation, is the author of God vs. The Gavel: Religion and the Role of Law. She is a leading voice on the responsibility of religious organizations to the public good and a specialist on the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
Sekulow, a judicial advocate and defender of religious freedom, has presented oral argument before the U.S. Supreme court in many cases in defense of constitutional freedoms. The ACLJ is involved in public interest and public policy issues working to protect religious and constitutional liberties.
Sider is an advocate of holistic biblical faith. His 1977 book, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, is hailed as one of the most influential books in religion in the 20th century. His writings cover a variety of topics, including the importance of caring for creation as part of biblical discipleship.