Scholars Council, 2012 - present
More about the Scholars Council

Distinguished Visiting Scholar, 2010. Read press release

Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in Ethics and American History, 2012. Read press release

Kluge Chair in Countries and Cultures of the North, 2015. Read press release

Blog: "Inquiring Minds: An Interview with John Witte"

JOHN WITTE JR. is Robert W. Woodruff University Professor, McDonald Distinguished Professor, and Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. A specialist in legal history, marriage law, and religious liberty, he has published 250 articles, 16 journal symposia, and 29 books, including "Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment" (2000, 3d. ed. 2011); "Law and Protestantism: The Legal Teachings of the Lutheran Reformation" (2002); "Sex, Marriage and Family Life in John Calvin’s Geneva," 2 vols. (2005, 2012); "Modern Christian Teachings on Law, Politics, and Human Nature," 3 vols. (2006); "God’s Joust, God’s Justice: Law and Religion in the Western Tradition" (2006); "The Reformation of Rights: Law, Religion, and Human Rights in Early Modern Calvinism" (2007); "Christianity and Law" (2008); "The Sins of the Fathers: The Law and Theology of Illegitimacy Reconsidered" (2009); "Christianity and Human Rights" (2011); "Religion and Human Rights" (2012); "No Establishment of Religion" (2012); "The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy" (2015); and "Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment" (2016).

Professor Witte’s writings have appeared in twelve languages, and he has lectured and convened conferences through North America, Western and Eastern Europe, Japan, Israel, Australia, Hong Kong, and South Africa.  With major funding from the Pew, Ford, Lilly, Luce, and McDonald foundations, he has directed 12 major international research projects on democracy, human rights, and religious liberty, and on marriage, family, and children.  He edits two major book series, “Studies in Law and Religion,” and “Religion, Marriage and Family.” He has been selected 11 times by the Emory law students as the Most Outstanding Professor and has won dozens of other awards and prizes for his teaching and research.

Selected Publications

• "The Western Case for Monogamy Over Polygamy" (2015) - researched and written at the Kluge Center
• "God's Joust, God's Justice: Law and Religion in the Western Tradition" (2006)
• "Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment: Essential Rights and Liberties" (2000)
• "From Sacrament to Contract: Marriage, Religion, and Law in the Western Tradition" (1997)

Events

• Lecture: "From Gospel to Law: The Lutheran Reformation & its Impact on Law, Politics & Society" (Nov. 11, 2015)
• "#ScholarFest - Right/Wrong: Perspectives on Notions & Morality" (Jun. 11, 2015)
• Lecture: "Why Two in One Flesh: The Western Case for Monogamy Over Polygamy" (Apr. 30, 2013)
• Lecture: "Sharia in the West? What Place for Faith-Based Family Laws in Liberal Democracies" (Nov. 1, 2012)
• Symposium: "Dignity of the Human Person" (Apr. 26, 2011)