For the past 15 years, the Denise ’90 and Michael ’91 Mattone Center for Law and Religion has served as a platform at St. John’s University-New York for examining how law interacts with religion in various contexts. The Center organizes events and programs that bring together students, scholars, and practitioners to discuss legal principles within different religious traditions and the relationship between religion and the state.
In November, the Mattone Center hosted several activities aimed at fostering discussion on law and religion. One event was a biannual reading group where 30 students gathered to discuss C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity,” focusing on Lewis’s views about natural law. Professor Mark Movsesian, who directs the Center, led the session. He stated: “The reading groups give students a chance to explore sources other than the statutes and judicial opinions that typically shape their classroom learning. We always have a great turnout and a great discussion at these events.”
The Center also organized an International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ICLARS) conference over two days at St. John’s Law School. Scholars and judges from both the United States and Europe participated in panels discussing topics such as public funding for religious schools, single-sex education, admissions criteria, denominational instruction, rights of teachers and students, morally sensitive issues in schools, curriculum design, academic freedom, and comparative perspectives from various countries.
Another highlight was a visit from Judge Ioannis Ktistakis of the European Court of Human Rights. Judge Ktistakis spoke about his experience teaching law in Greece and Turkey, litigating more than 60 cases before the European Court of Human Rights, serving as a judge on that court, how judges are appointed there, transparency measures at the court, and managing thousands of cases annually.
Anastasia Kaliabakos ‘27 commented on Judge Ktistakis’s visit: “As a member of the Hellenic Law Students Association, I can speak for us all in saying how inspiring it was to see a Greek judge of such distinction take the time to meet with us. His guidance and example reminded us of the importance of our shared heritage and of pursuing meaningful careers in law.”
Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum praised both Judge Ktistakis’s participation and the ongoing work of the Mattone Center: “The Mattone Center is widely recognized as a center of excellence and prominence in the law and religion field,” she said. “Through timely events for students and others as well as its Law and Religion Forum blog, Legal Spirits podcast, and Landmark Cases in Religious Freedom animated video series, the Center is making a significant impact at, and well beyond, St. John’s Law that will only continue to grow in the coming years.”
