Legal Spirits

Legal Spirits


Latest Episodes

Legal Spirits 057: Historian Richard Brookhiser on Religious Freedom in America
March 07, 2024

In this episode, Center Director Mark Movsesian interviews historian Richard Brookhiser (left) about his new documentary, Free Exercise: Americas Story of Religious Liberty. How have minority relig

Legal Spirits 056: Can the NY State Thruway Ban Chick-fil-A?
January 18, 2024

In this episode, we discuss a bill pending in New York that would require future fast food restaurants at rest stops on the State Thruway to open seven days a week. The bill expressly targets Chick-fi

Legal Spirits 055: Speaker Mike Johnson on the Separation of Church and State
December 05, 2023

In a TV interview last month, House Speaker Mike Johnson raised eyebrows by asserting that Framers welcomed religion in public life and that the Establishment Clause protects religion from the encroac

Legal Spirits 054: Is Classical Law Due for a Comeback?
October 25, 2023

Recently, many people have been talking about classical lawspecifically whether classical law, with its focus on Christian universals and natural law concepts, can make a comeback in American law sch

Legal Spirits 053: Tom Berg on Religious Liberty in a Polarized Age
October 02, 2023

Welcome back! In our first Legal Spirits episode of the academic year, we interview our friend, law professor Tom Berg (University of St. Thomas) about his new book, Religious Liberty in a Polarized A

Legal Spirits 052: SCOTUS Decides Groff and 303 Creative
July 06, 2023

In our traditional end-of-term wrap up, Marc and Mark discuss the Supreme Courts decisions in two cases: Groff v. DeJoy, the Title VII religious accommodations case, and 303 Creative v. Elenis, the w

Legal Spirits 051: The Biden Administration’s Guidance on Prayer in Public Schools
May 24, 2023

In this episode, Marc and Mark offer some thoughts about the Biden Administration Department of Educations guidance issued earlier this month (the first since 2020) on prayer and religious expression

Legal Spirits 050: Groff v. DeJoy and Religious Accommodation in the Workplace
April 28, 2023

In this episode, Marc and Mark discuss the background and recent oral argument before the Supreme Court in Groff v. DeJoy, a case about religious accommodation in the workplace under Title VII. The ca

Legal Spirits 049: A Canticle for Leibowitz & After Virtue
April 18, 2023

In this podcast, Marc and Mark discuss some of the common themes in two books that we recently read and reflected on with our students in the Centers Reading Society: Walter M. Miller, Jr.s A Cantic

Legal Spirits 048: The Rise of the Nones and American Law
April 04, 2023

Last month, the Center co-sponsored a panel, The Rise of the Nones and American Law, featuring Professors Steven Collis (University of Texas), Mark Movsesian (St. Johns) and Gregory Sisk (Universit