Manhattan Declaration

Released Friday, at ManhattanDeclaration.org:

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.
We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The Christian Legal Society, among many Evangelical organizations, is a signatory.

Read the text.

Christian Legal Society National Conference

I'm a bit late on this, but I wanted to give a summary of the shenanigans at the CLS National Conference last month in San Diego.

The plenary speakers were great. It's odd, though, that what stands out for me about Gordon and Gail MacDonald and Mike McIntosh is not what they told us-- though their talks were excellent-- but what they did. Their gracious service to CLS from beginning to end of the conference was humbling.

Gordon and Gail MacDonald did more than just come and speak. They were there for the entire conference, presented workshops, and met in small groups with attendees. Gordon closed our conference with the Sunday morning preaching as well. What a blessing from this gracious couple! Mike McIntosh* not only encouraged us through his speaking, but also gave of his time and resources, helped to mobilize his entire congregation and sister churches, and practically put his staff at our disposal to make the conference successful. Evan Wickham and his wife Sandy led worship for the 120+ law students there-- at no cost or effort on our part. They did an amazing job, and we are grateful to them as well.

We loved our small group discussions after breakfast, the fellowship at each evening's banquet, and the time to get to know like-minded folks from around the country. The highlight presentation for most of us was from Restore International's Bob Goff, who challenged us to "look for the fingerprints of Jesus" in the opportunities we're faced with, and say "yes." Bob's story-- and stories-- about his compassionate work in his family and around the world were challenging and hilarious.

On the law student front, I think we had the most edifying National Law Student Convention to date. We had about 120 law students from more than 20 different law schools, who took part in worship, workshops, and networking throughout the weekend.

After introducing students to the four CLS ministries (Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Aid, the Center for Law and Religious Freedom, and Law Student Ministries), and giving Fred Potter, our new CEO at CLS, say a few words, we heard from LSM Deputy Director Dan Kim on what it means to be in Christian community as a law student. We spent the rest of the conference in workshops:

Professor John Nagle led a discusion on Social Justice and Creation Care; Wendy McMahon, Judge Mary Libby Payne, and Merilyn Steele presented a panel on women's issues; Brent Amato, Gary Maedor, Ann Buwalda, and Sylvia Chen spoke on career options and integration of faith and practice; Center Senior Counsel Kim Colby spoke on religious liberty; and InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty staff worker Gary Cameron and I facilitated a discussion on ministry on campus.

Rock-star bookman Byron Borger was with us as well, speaking on Developing a Christian Worldview through Reading. He was a great encouragement to all of us-- you can read some of his reflections on the conference on his excellent Booknotes Blog.

Finally, the annual scholars' symposium was a big hit, thanks to Dr. Dave VanDrunen of Westminster Seminary California, who addressed a small, but energetic group of law professors, deans, students, and lawyers on "Justice as Human Vocation."

We're still exploring dates and locations for next year's national conference, but I hope you'll join us!

*I don't have a link yet to Mike's plenary session in San Diego, but here's a clip of his testimony in another setting, from washedred.com.

Richard Hooker: Priest, Legal Scholar, Humble Servant

Today on the Anglican calendar is the festival of Richard Hooker, who died on Nov 2 or 3, 1600. Russell Kirk says this of Hooker, who had a lasting influence on the jurisprudence of the English reformation and hence the American founding:

Hooker's understanding of the benign character of law, of historical and cultural continuity, of constitutional government, and of prudent toleration would persist even among most leaders of the American Revolution--whether or not they had been reared as Anglicans, for Hooker's arguments penetrated beyond the communion of the Church of England. Many Americans (though not most New Englanders) acquired their early concepts of human nature and of the civil social order from the Elizabethan Book of Common Prayer, which Hooker's defense of the via media secured as the basic ecclesiastical teaching of reformed England.

Despite his relatively short life (he died at age 46) as an obscure priest, Hooker's influence is enduring. He was humble, yet brilliant; theologically sound, yet tolerant: "temperate and literate." May we have more like him today.

William Cowper's epitaph ends with this:

Yet he that lay so long obscurely low
Doth now preferr'd to greater honours go.
Ambitious men, learn hence to be more wise;
Humility is the true way to rise:
And God in me this lesson did inspire,
To bid this humble man, Friend, sit up higher.

Thanks be to God for the life and ministry of Richard Hooker!