21st Annual International Law and Religion Symposium
Symposium 2014: Session Reports, Recordings & Photos Now Available
The 21st Annual International Law and Religion Symposium can now be remembered in many ways.
- Audio and video recordings of individual presentations and entire sessions, some of them in as many as 14 languages, are now available on the website.
- The Photo Album is available here.
- Reports of individual sessions, prepared by our students and by volunteer reporters, are available here.
- See the Symposium on Facebook, and join the discussion!
Symposium 2014: “Varieties of Secularism, Religion, and the Law”
The 21st annual International Law and Religion Symposium, this year featuring 80 invited delegates, from 40 countries, addressed the theme “Varieties of Secularism, Religion, and the Law.” The Symposium opened Sunday evening, 5 October, with welcoming remarks by BYU Law School Dean, James R. Rasband, and President of Brigham Young University, Kevin J Worthen. The Keynote Address was given by United States Senator for Utah Orrin Hatch, who also was presented with the Center’s Distinguished Service Award, by Professor W Cole Durham, Jr., Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies.
This year’s delegates included scholars, government officials, journalists, and religious and civic leaders from Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, France, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United…
Symposium 2014: Senator Hatch Receives Distinguished Service Award
The 21st Annual International Law and Religion Symposium opened on Sunday evening, October 5, 2014, in the Moot Court Room of the J. Reuben Clark Law School on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Those in attendance and listening in via live webinar were welcomed by Law School Dean James R. Rasband and Brigham Young University President Kevin J Worthen. Professor W. Cole Durham, Jr., Director of the Symposium’s sponsoring organization, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, presented the Center’s Distinguished Service Award to Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who…
Symposium 2014: The Hosts & Center Supporters
The International Center for Law and Religion Studies and the delegates to its 2014 International Law and Religion Symposium are grateful for the indispensable help of a group of outstanding people who volunteered to assist in hosting the delegates and making them feel welcome. A great many delegates come from half a world away, and many do not speak English. The kind attention of the Center’s generous friends makes the Symposium an unparalleled cultural and academic experience. The Hosting Committee was chaired once again this year by Linda Nearon and Lynn Anderson, who with their husbands, …
Symposium 2014: Keynote Speaker Orrin Hatch
Participants at the October 5, 2014 opening session of the 21st Annual International Law and Religion Symposium were pleased to hear a Keynote Address from Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). Also at the opening session, held in the Moot Court Room of the J. Reuben Clark Law School on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Professor W. Cole Durham, Jr., Director of the Symposium’s sponsoring organization, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, presented the Center’s Distinguished Service Award to Senator Hatch.
In commenting upon the selection of Senator Hatch as a recipient of the award, BYU Law School Associate Dean and ICLRS Associate Director Brett G. Scharffs said, “Over his lengthy career, Senator Hatch has been a consistent and articulate defender of religious freedom. From his work on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which is the most important legislation in the last half century dealing with freedom of religion,…