Norman Doe to deliver The Bekynton Lecture in Law and Religion

September 9, 2017

Prominent ELS member Professor Norman Doe is to deliver The Bekynton Lecture in Law and Religion at Wells Cathedral, 4.15 pm Sunday 1 October 2017 (The Education Room).

This lecture is a collaboration between Wells Cathedral, Harris and Harris, and the Centre for Law and Religion at Cardiff University.  Thomas Bekynton (1390-1465) worked in the fields of law and religion: he was a notable canon lawyer, Dean of the Court of Arches (1423), and Bishop of Bath and Wells (1443).  The relationship between law and religion continues to be of enormous significance for people today.  The practice of religion by individuals and groups, the rise of religious diversity, and the fear of religious extremism, raise profound questions for the interaction between law and religion in society. The religion laws of secular government and the religious laws of faith communities are valuable tools for our understanding of the dynamics of mutual accommodation in such areas as individual religious freedom and the governance of religious organisations, including Christian churches.

This lecture explores the relationship between law and religion in the life of English cathedrals.  The lecture is followed by the book launch of: N. Doe, The Legal Architecture of English Cathedrals (Routledge, 2017) and N. Doe, ed., Christianity and Natural Law (Cambridge University Press, 2017).  Light refreshments will be served at the book launch.

Professor Doe is the Director of the Centre for Law and Religion at The Law School, Cardiff University.