Academics

Exegetical course in the laws of the Bible, using the Decalogue as its own principle of organization. Develops the meaning of the laws in context and their appropriate applications, with emphasis on the nature of their applicability to policy issues such as pluralism, penology, lawful oaths, blue laws, church and state jurisdiction, gender roles, marriage, capital punishment and other topics. Cross-listed as GOV 651 Biblical Law.

Designed to deal with legal problems that confront current issues regarding and surrounding biology, medicine and the law. Focuses on managing biology, ethical theory and genetic control to afford protection, life and provision in the biblical framework and context of the family. Links the practical knowledge of the law with social, moral and policy issues that are very real in bioethics law practice.

Students work with professor on projects relating to the nature and regulation of policy making regarding children’s issues, including current issues pending before state legislative and regulatory decision making bodies.

To apply for the Child Advocacy Practicum:

• Complete the Practicum Application (PDF)
• List objectives for the course
• Attaching resume semester schedule

Jurisprudential survey of the Christian foundations of Anglo-American law, including the development of higher/natural law thinking, higher law influence on the development of the common law, the rise of modern legal philosophies, and the influence of Christian and secular worldviews on the development of American law.

Inquiry into the scriptural principles that govern man’s role in, and responsibility for, punishing and controlling sinners and for redressing the consequences of sin. Included is a study of the historical foundations of our criminal justice system. Other topics to be discussed are the differences between a sin and a crime, appropriate sanctions and current issues in criminal justice.

Considers and confronts legal problems regarding current women’s issues. Presently, all materials available in this area have been written from a feminist jurisprudential perspective. In contrast, apply a Christian perspective to examine critically the position of women socially, economically, culturally and personally.

Discussion of balancing the government’s responsibility to defend the body politic and its parallel duty to safeguard the rights of individuals. Exploration of the tensions of achieving security and freedom from Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus to Bush’s detention of terrorist combatants.

Citizenship, acquisition and maintenance e of major immigrant and non-immigrant classifications; admission into and exclusion or deportation from the U.S.; and structure and procedures of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Board of Immigration Appeals, Department of State and Department of Labor.

Students work with professor to present cases to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Department of Justice Immigration Court. Responsibilities include: client intake interviews, evidence gathering, legal research, drafting motions, and client correspondence.

Addresses the questions of the universality of human rights, including the right of life, the right to death, rights of the child, women’s rights, religious freedoms, the rights of third-world countries and the export of Western values to Eastern societies.

Comparative overview of children’s rights law and practice, including interdisciplinary perspectives on childhood, Convention on the Rights of the Child, child labor, child slavery and trafficking, adoption, provision rights, and gender and sex discrimination issues.

The criminal law that applies across international borders, including key international criminal law tribunals from Nuremberg to the International Criminal Court and the substantive law of international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Rule of law principles and how to apply the principles to form and fortify the legal culture and institutions in developing nation-states. How economic structures, the security environment, and cultural and religious views impact law-making and enforcement.

Discussion and study of the nature of international law; state jurisdiction; the individual legal system; statehood and recognition of states; diplomatic and consular immunity; international agreements; the use of force; and an overview of various international organizations.

International and regional laws regarding the right to expression and protection of religious belief. Defenses to protect religious freedom, mechanisms for advocacy and intervention, and the impact that non-governmental organizations can have in protecting religious freedom.

Overview of the global problem of trafficking in persons for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. The course examines the issue of trafficking from several perspectives: (i) the various international conventions that prohibit trafficking in persons; (ii) regional examples of trafficking and factors that contribute to it such as civil unrest and governmental corruption; and (iii) the United States legislative and foreign policy response to trafficking in persons. This course will focus on trafficking in persons as a human rights violation and the treatment of trafficked persons as a victim of a crime.

Study of God and man, justice and law. Focuses upon the basic issues of the philosophy of law and the specific task of exploring a distinctively Christian jurisprudence. Topics include law and morals, judicial reasoning, limits on governmental power and individual liberty, theories of justice and the nature of law and justice.

Discussion of problems related to minority status, including jurisdiction of the state, detention, responsibility for the crime, rights and responsibilities of the parents, and the constitutional, statutory and case law parameters of the juvenile law system.

This seminar provides students an analysis of national security topics. Among the topics which may be covered are national security and the role of law, theoretical approaches to national security and world order, development of the international law of conflict management, the use of force in international relations, the laws of wars and neutrality, war crimes, the international law of intelligence collection, the control of international terrorism, American security doctrine and nuclear weapons.

Study of the laws and legal principles applicable to exempt organizations. Topics covered include the legal structure and organization of nonprofits, issues of taxation and tax-exempt status, government regulation of exempt organizations and potential liability arising from the conduct of a ministry.

Survey Islamic Law in three parts: (1) Qur’anic foundations using the Qur’an itself and the history of its various interpretations; (2) “classical/historical/orthodox/traditional” Shari’a itself; and (3) the application of Shari’a in Muslim nations today and its relevancy to non-Muslim nations.