Bob Cochran Discusses Newly-Released Book Faith and Law
Robert F. Cochran, Jr., the Louis D. Brandeis Professor of Law and director of the Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics, has recently released a new book titled Faith and Law: How Religious Traditions from Calvinism to Islam View American Law (NYU Press; 2008; $25.00).
The idea for Faith and Law came to him about five years ago, when Pepperdine hosted a conference on viewing law through eyes of faith. As part of the conference, Cochran put together a 16-member panel—each from a different religious tradition—to discuss how their respective religions view law. Twelve of those same speakers became authors in Cochran’s book. To discuss the book’s evolution and the issues it raises, Cochran sat down with Professor Roger Alford and gave his insight on Faith and Law.
To listen to the interview, please click the button below.
In total,
Faith and Law includes essays by legal scholars from sixteen different
religious traditions. The scholars contend that religious discourse has an
important function in the making, practice, and adjudication of American law,
not least because our laws rest upon a framework of religious values. The book
includes faiths that have traditionally had an impact on American law, as well
as new immigrant faiths that are likely to have a growing influence. Each
contributor describes how his or her tradition views law and addresses one legal
issue from that perspective, and topics include abortion, gay rights,
euthanasia, immigrant rights, blasphemy, and free speech.
Praised for its relevancy of topic, the book has been described as "a
truly remarkable collection of first rate essays by a variety of scholars, one
more illuminating than the other," by Amitai Etzioni, founder of the
communitarian movement. Ellen S. Pryor, professor at Southern Methodist
University Dedman School of Law, calls it "a tremendous addition to the
literature bounded by the topics of ethics, religion, public policy, and
law."
Professor Cochran is the founder of the Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar Institute
on Law, Religion, and Ethics, and teaches Torts, Legal Ethics, Religion and
Law, and Family Law. He was Rick J. Caruso Research Fellow from 1994 to 1995
and 1997 to 1998. He is the co-author of Lawyers, Clients, and Moral
Responsibility; Cases and Materials on the Legal Profession; The
Counselor-at-Law: A Collaborative Approach to Client Interviewing and Counseling;
and Christian Perspectives on Legal Thought.
