Hot New Religious Liberty Seminar

The contours of a new law school seminar are beginning to take shape in my mind: "The Religious Liberty Jurisprudence of 20th Century Popular Musicians."  One class will be devoted to the existential underpinnings of secularism, via John Lennon; another on the public accessibility of blasphemy as sanctionable conduct, via Madonna; another on the modern misunderstanding of authentic love, via a comparative study of Deus Caritas Est and the lyrics of leading 1980s hair bands; one on the powerful allure of evil as an inspirational worldview, via AC/DC; one on the problem human suffering poses for societies that take religion seriously, via XTC; one on the feasibility of solidarity as a legal principle in light of the Incarnation, via Joan Osborne; and with today's news comes the perfect content for a concluding class devoted to the uniquely insightful contributions to the modern understanding of religious liberty offered by Sir Elton John.

Rob