The very world of law presupposes some fixed understanding of right and wrong.  Or does it? Law seems to be an ever-growing discipline and industry whereby the morality of law is cast aside in favor of popular sovereignty. The autonomy of the individual seems to remain paramount and refuses to give one inch of ground to the idea that something should be rendered illegal even if it is immoral. What is morality anyway?  Isn't it the latest cause or issue of the church which seeks to restrict and regulate someone else's behavior based on the Bible? Isn't such an idea legally irrelevant as the Bible is nothing more than  a book which is increasingly deemed out of bounds for any serious discussions of law and public policy?

Who decides what is moral?  Whose morality will win the day? With the legalization of homosexual marriage, the increasing hostility of religious symbols in the public square, and the on-going legality of abortion all evidence points to the fact that the modern church is losing any voice in these very public debates. All of these issues, however, possess theological as well as legal underpinnings which demand the attention of the church.

At its heart the law critically intersects with ethics, religion and even politics. Yet these various disciplines rarely seem to formally interact unless and until they erupt in a popular uprising where people are outraged by a court decision or a national debate which ensues in the aftermath of some Supreme Court ruling.

And rare is the person who is schooled and skilled in theology as well as law and can walk in the worlds of academia, the church, the courts, and the media. Yet, at a recent national conference celebrating the 15th anniversary of his book, Making Men Moral:  Civil Liberties and Public Morality, Dr. Robert P. George, the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University joins Dr. Gregory Alan Thornbury, Dean of the School of Christian at Union University to do just that  - work to explore the dimensions of theology, law, ethics and politics in modern life.

Part I
Morality what is it?; the Pre-liberal tradition What it is and what has become of it?; Legislating morality can it be done?; Moral law and just law; The meaning of justice; The making of just law how is it done?; First Principles and the good; What is good?
Jesus, the Rich Young Ruler and the good; The Wolfenden Report of 1957 and laws against homosexuality; the sexual revolution; Private behavior and public morality; "victimless" crimes and justice.